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Oh, that's great. Especially the dog x 3!

I love it! Have had a tough week and that really brightens Friday afternoon - thank you!

It's pretty, but I wish it were more complete. They left off satyrs, chimaeras, hecatonchieres, kelpies, sphinxes....

I'm off to google a mermahuataur. Part human, part bull, part narwhal? heckyes.

Ed Anon--maybe some of your design-y minions could help us correct that...

At last — the living room wallpaper dilemma is solved!

Nice! Now I have more ammo for my cross-bred imaginings. Happy Friday.

Lot of effort just for a mermahuataur joke :P

I love the mermahuataur and the dog x3! Brilliant!

But now I'm trying to figure out of there's any way to get the chimera in there... too nebulous a concept, I guess, it would have to send venn diagram tentacles into all the cross-over areas...

Very fun, indeed. Although there is an error: the Lion/Human would be the Sphinx, not the Manticore, which is Lion/Human/Scorpion (or Dragon). We need another bubble for arachnids!

What a fun venn diagram!

Ahhh, I'm in venn heaven. Thanks!

Gotta love a Venn Diagram. And one with mythical creatures just makes it that much more magical.

Where has a mermahuataur ever appeared??? and where would a moonrat fit?

Fantasy creature fail. :(

I've never heard of half of those, and honestly thought some of them were diseases.

Pretty colors, though. :)

Darn! Every excuse I ever had for a Professor about the obvious fact that Venn Diagrams had nothing to do with fun, have now been burnt to the ground. Got a needed laugh after a rough morning.

I love that!

Moonrat, you might also enjoy Maggie Stiefvater's newest You Tube video about how Kraken are the new vampire. It's awesome.

http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/2009/09/kraken-are-new-vampires.html

Ha ha, brilliant!

One small quibble. Human/Snake = echidna? The small, harmless, spiny waddling monotreme that lives in burrows in the Australian bush?
The one that isn't mythical?

millionwords - That's the animal echidna. The mythological echidna is a half-snake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna_(mythology)

Ah, I see where the confusion is. In Australia we have the other sort of echidnas too but we call them politicians.

im so glad this comment thread is still active. you guys make me laugh.

The "6 ways to get your book published" was funny and also a frigging downer. The part about Jill Abramson blogging about her puppy makes me want to punch a wall.

Thanks for the links. I don't think you post too much. I may not always leave a comment, but I'm reading any time there is something new.

I don't comment often (that's an understatement) but I look forward to every post, and as far as I'm concerned, the more Moonrat, the better.

You generally post daily, and I generally read you daily, so it works for me. Most times I don't comment, I just don't have anything to add.

Okay, I blogged about this post and added a link back to your blog. The Jill Abramson thing kills me!

I want to be a powerful editor, too! And get a sweet book deal by writing about my pet fish for a year. At the end, I'll fry him up and eat him. That'll boost sales! ARRRGH!

I definitely don't think you post too frequently or too infrequently. I always look forward to checking out your posts.

Comment Monsters seem to be pretty uncontrollable beasts.

Does anyone ever go "nuts, I wish she'd post a little less so I could keep up"?

Not with your blog, because your posts tend to be short, but with other bloggers, yes, I do, in fact think that. My blog reader has 30 feeds on it, so it doesn't bother me if people don't update every day.

No, I love your posts, keep 'em coming! And yes, because your posts are usually on the shorter side, if I get behind, I just read them all in one sitting, and I've never felt overwhelmed.

I used to never post because I felt all intimidated 'cause you're IN THE INDUSTRY and I'm just someone who wants to get published, but now I try to chime in when I have the time/have anything halfway decent to say...

I liked the blog list. Good points.

And no, you don't post too often. In fact, I think you recently went for a whole day without posting (or maybe it was just a few hours) and I almost wigged out. (uh...does anyone really use that phrase anymore?) But you make up for it by posting multiples in one day, on occasion. No worries.

I rarely comment, but I read daily. If you didn't post for a while I'd forget to come back! As it is now, I look forward to it as part of my routine :) Post more! Post more!

I read, i comment, I just don;t want to seem stalkerish... its a fine line. I know that it s public blog and all, but still...

Jeez. You must still be feeling the sting of the book-blogger-appreciation snafu of the other day. :)

Very happy with the scroll rate here. You've got something to say, you say it. And often there's evidence you've been mulling it over for a while -- that what you post is actually the Nth draft in a series.

Comment volume, eh. 'Course it's easy for me to say. But I think that may be cyclical. You may notice that you get a huge volume of comments on certain kinds of posts, and fewer on other kinds. Otherwise please don't sweat it. You've got enough on your plate!

Blogs are easier to read than books because you don't have to turn the pages. (Monkeys don't have thumbs, yanno).

Your blog is the latest craze in the jungle.

I follow a couple blogs that make me question why I subscribed to them. Yours is not one of them.

You post frequently, but they are usually brief. I like that.

And for the record, I'm still trying to figure out who your "author who was a character in a movie" is!

You do NOT post too much! I've read your blog every day since I found it. Like others, I just don't comment if I don't have anything to add unless there is a reason to reinforce a point. As book people, we don't want to be repetitive, derivative, or cliche. We're sort of a self-editing body that way. Today, though, it seems that reinforcement is called for.

You post in a perfectly precise amount. I think some of us read regularly, we're just lazy about commenting. I used to read all blogs from my iPhone and it made a real pain to post comments. Maybe it applies to others too.

you guys are funny. i DO seem to need a lot of validation lately, don't i?! i bet that's breaking all the blogging rules!

Lydia--what Andre Norton are you reading? I lurrrved the Halfblood Chronicles at a certain point in the past.

Monkey Mama--alas, I know a LOT about monkeys. Have I told you I live with one?

Rick--nyuk nyuk. Keep guessing!! Maybe someday you'll get it ;) I'll give you a hint--the movie came out in 2006.

I never comment -- I'm shy that way -- but I check your blog at least twice a day -- I wish you would publish MORE.

You, Nathan B. and the late lamented Miss Snark are the closest thing to a free course on publishing out there. You three helped me write my query letter, work through the submission process, and get an agent. Thank you.

I love your blog.
*mwah*

I like that you post frequently. I'm trying to limit my comments because I find I blab ad nauseam about the same stuff (I think I have commenter-itis).

I like you blog. It's educational as well as fun. Keep going!

Maybe this is just me, since I spend a lot of time at home in front of the computer, but when the blogs I have in my "check daily" bookmarks folder don't update daily, I get sad. The more updating, the better.

I oddly find people comment more, the less I post. But I inadvertently do the same thing: on blogs that post often, I comment less.

These days, I mostly only comment when the blogger asks a direct question. Then it feels like I've been invited to the conversation. Otherwise, I feel shy. :-)

I'm with Stephen (and others): there's no such thing as too much moonrat.

I don't comment much because I'm afraid of sounding like a dumbass.

Please keep doing what you're doing. You're awesome - that's why I subscribe to your posts!

And don't worry about the level of comments - many people are lurkers, like me. Check your blog stats instead! I bet you get heaps of unique visitors.

My blog compass has thus far directed me without error to sites whose raison d'etre oscillates not about the spectacle of bared buttocks hoist au scanner.

In that sense, you were no 'lucky find', but rather the outcome of some benevolent universal law.

What I love love love love LOVE about your blog is that most days are short and fun, but then once in awhile there's a Moonrant (as I call it) where you go in depth on an issue.

I love the varity and the frequency :). It makes me happy inside.

Moonrant! I love it, Rebecca!

Lydia--what Andre Norton are you reading? I lurrrved the Halfblood Chronicles at a certain point in the past.

Um...apparently, I'll be picking up the Halfblood Chronicles...the idea just came to me, out of nowhere. ;) Something told me it would be a lurrrvelly read.

And I second the Moonrant!

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Hmmm. No sure about the comment above mine.

Actually, I don't think you post enough. I love your crazy moonratty take on the world. I don't usually comment because I'm Australian and we're lazy.

Rest assured, you do rock!

Your posts are not too hard or too soft. They're not too hot or too cold. They're just right!

I lurk, but I lurk here every day. I don't comment much, but I'm reading and enjoying teh Moonrat. :-)

Also. The Publish or Perish piece? Oh crap. I guess I know what I'm in for now next spring... my debut novel's coming out.

Gulp.

I don't think I've ever wished a blogger would post less. Wished that I had more time to read, yes, but not wish they posted less. That's like wishing your box had fewer chocolates in it...

These days, I actually appreciate folks not posting every day. I just can't keep up, no matter how I try. And I've begun commenting somewhat less as my blog list continues to spiral out of control.

I'm an editor based in the Midwest, and your blog is my daily dose of living vicariously in the editorial world in NY. Sometimes I think maybe if I lived there, too, we'd be editor-ly friends who'd meet for tasty drinks to discuss our mutual love of The Time Traveler's Wife and shared hatred of laundry. But mostly I just enjoy reading, and think your frequency--and your blend of "moonrants" and pictures of cute animals--is just right. So thank you. -j

Thanks for the link to the top ten list. I am not a daily blogger, which means I sometimes miss posts. But that falls to me, not to you. Thanks for the post.

I just wanted to say that random ugg boot post above my other post has been removed. I just wanted to point that out so you all know that the comment that is now above me (by Lydia Sharp) isn't the one I was poking fun of.

Okay, crisis averted.

Your posts are among my favorites. I love that some days are super short and others are longer -- it's a nice variety. Since I've started reading on Google reader I don't comment as much, but I read every post!

haha Jade--sorry!! didn't mean to get you in trouble!! i just HATE spam adverts!!

No. The more posts the better as far as I'm concerned. I'm always disappointed when I come to a blog and there aren't any up to date posts. It feels stale. Keep posting--frequently!

That is just wrong, but pretty funny! The peacock looks especially put out. Thanks for sharing!

If I could make my German Shorthair look like a buffalo... in a minute, I'm there!

Pic of dog...
http://robertwahl.blogspot.com/

Haste yee back ;-)

That's just plain barking mad!

Yikes!

Those poor animals...makes you wonder what they did to deserve it? Oh right, NOTHING. People are insane.

Poor dogs? They don't know they look ridiculous!

Just be glad it's dogs being sheared and shaved, not children.

Sheesh. Those do make me wonder what goes through the owners' minds...

Maybe we just lucked out and got a tomboy Yorkie, but she's visibly embarrassed wearing anything remotely, y'know, frou-frou (sp.?). A 'do like any of those would send her straight under the bed or to the back of a closet. :)

Buffy,

I think a couple of the dogs looked like they were well aware of the degradation imposed upon them.

Last time I saw a makeover that horrendous was when Tony passed out at Andy's bachelor party.

Never do that.

It's animal abuse. Period.

I love it! What good-tempered dogs. :)

I like the fairy!

Oh Good Lord.. THIS is why animals attack!

Haha. Nice.

Love the buffalo.

It is the end of western civilization, but we are ending on a funny note at least!

I actually like the ones that look like actual animals - I thought they were clever.

Our little dogs would let us groom them for hours. We have to put them back on the floor and remind them they are dogs. I'm sure those dogs have been cuddled, groomed and pampered since puppyhood and consider all the attention their due.

Too freaking funny!

Oh my gosh, I saw this! Some of them are pretty cool. The camel and the buffalo look MUCH less silly than normal poodle show grooming.

The snail though, that's messed up. :)

Rick, I don't believe dogs know what degradation is. They eat cat shit for crying out loud.

Love this!
What a great pick-me-up! The panda was a killer for me--I have a sheep dog that looks close to that poodle!

Oh my gosh! Gotta love the Onion. Too funny, and yet, so very sad LOL.

Haha! oh, the people you work with must... must... must have opinions about you.

I note that the article first appeared in 2006. By now its subject has probably finished his coursework and worked his way up to the coveted position as That Crazy Neighborhood Guy Who Sits in Washington Square All Day Scribbling Illegibly in a Composition Book. Up life's ladder!

Poor Craig Klein . . . or was it Calvin. . .or Don, maybe Dan. . .

Haha thanks for sharing. And thank you for introducing me to the Intern. Now I can have girl crushes on both of you. My day has brightened considerably.

Hi! I'm sort of an isolated wanna-be and I have a question!

My agent submitted my manuscript to six different (big) publishing houses on June the fifth... and now...it's been almost a month and I haven't heard anything! A rejection would be welcome at this point just so I would know I exist somewhere.

Does anyone know if this is a good thing (maybe I'm making the rounds to the board) or a bad thing (no one is reading my novel because it's buried under a stack as tall as the empire state building)?

Any advice would be so...eaten alive. Thanks.

Anon--honestly it's still a little early. Your agent will probably give it another week before following up. Worth talking through with your agent, though, re: strategy. 1 month is kind of the magic submission number, a good time for follow-up. You can drop your agent an email to casually ask about his/her timeframe for following up, and just say you wanted to be on the same page.

Thank you so much. I'm going to pretend you gave me permission to email my agent next week. I was afraid to contact him and ask questions for fear that he might see how nuerotic I actually am.

Hmmm...I wonder how long I can keep that a secret?

ALL authors are neurotic. you can't help yourself!! no secrets there ;) but don't go around feeling alone.

Hehehehe, well at least Moonie said it first ;).

THE INTERN blog cracked me up! And horrified me! All at the same time. Thanks for the link!

That is sad, pathetic, and hilarious all at the same time.

Just goes to show that interns might as well grab as much dirt as they can because nobody will suspect them of anything.

I love THE INTERN blog. She's hilarious.

HAHAHA! INTERN delighted and touched. Thanks, moonrat.

Perhaps INTERN should take to hanging around in front of the building security cameras so she can later prove she was actually there :)

Pure. Genius.

Wicked :D

Sweet. Pun not intended.

I've tried my hand at making sushi recently. It's pretty tough to make it look good, but easy to produce something edible California rolls and tuna or salmon nigiri are it so far, but I can make about $80 worth of sushi for $25.

That's the most beautiful thing I ever did see!

Ah, but Confetti Cakes in NYC makes the same cake - she even has instructions for it in her cookbook.

http://www.confetticakes.com/press/press68.html

thank you, chelle. you totally just saved me all those moving fees and having to find a new job and stuff.

and also now i'm going to be very, very fat.

WOW. I'm HONgry now.

I dare not make sushi...much less a sushi cake. But YUM!

Reminds me of LAST night's picnic dinner during band concert. After music ended ate ice cream. Perfection.

Rick_Daley: where R U? I'm coming for feast.

OMG, dats a cake!?!?!?!

Fecking Brilliant!

Caorl...Columbus, OH. Come one over. Bring extra wasabi.

That is AWESOME!

See? I knew my home state was amazing. Go, Washington (and sushi... and chocolate..)! Woo hoo!

WOW. Serious cakery!

Not sure how it would sit on top of gin-based beverages but probably not worth worrying about. Onward!

That is stunning.

Rick Daley: Ohio?! The last time I visited that state was for a family reunion at Denison U. We drove. Whole way. Hm...thinking about firing up the RV. How long you think that sushi can wait?

Never mind, I'm heading over to Rebecca Knight's she's closer. Hey Rebecca K, what's for dinner? (And no, I'm not kidding).

OMG. I was thinking about saying "your sushi doesn't look very fresh...." lol I don't think I've seen one like this in Japan! Although we do have sushi key chains...

you could just call Ace of Cakes - Duff :)

Moonrat, come to Seattle so we can do a tasting!

*Note: it just occurred to me that I never found out the flavor of this cake. I sincerely hope it is not sushi-flavored. (vomits in mouth a little bit)

That is too freakin' cool!

Moomone,
You obviously don't believe in catch and release!

Haste yee back ;-)

First Carol--LOL! I'll learn how to make my own sushi, just for you ;).

::: appreciative -- VERY appreciative whistle :::

Wow, that's a beautiful cake. It merges two of my fav things, too -- artistry and design.

Thanks for sharing it, Moonrat!

In the vein of the funniest customer reviews on Amazon, here's the funniest recipe on Epicurious: Salted Water for Boiling. ("This recipe didn't work for me. I added the salt, but the water never came to a boil, even after I doubled the salt. Maybe it would work better if you added a heat source? I've put a pot of water on a stove burner before and that seemed to work a little better.")

I can't stop laughing...wolverine....aaahahaha...
and then I went...to...see...the Man Cold thing...and now I know that it isn't just my husband who gets those...
(Although, I must be totally honest and say on his behalf that he hasn't caught a cold in at least 5 years...)

Hope you have a splendid week!

Thank you.

Just let me know where to send the cookies.

You rock! Thanks!

Thanks for the laughs, Moonie.

Hey. Thanks for the link.
Ever yours,
Jane (er Mad)

Hahahaha... The Wolverine one, well, I hope no one was listening over my cubicle wall. I'm wearing headphones, so they wouldn't have known why I was making the repeated snorksnork noises. :)

Thanks so much for the link fun!

I'd watch that Wolverine thing but I kind of want to see the real movie first.

charles--no worries; no spoilers :)

Thank you for the laughs!

Ha ha. No spoilers, indeed.

Hey!

Me dirty, over-caffeinated intern at a publishing house.

You editorial ass.

INTERN LOVE YOUR BLOG.

INTERN READ YOUR BLOG CHRONICALLY.

Much goodness to you.

Peace.

INTERN

OMG LMAO!!!! I can't stop laughing on the Wolverine and the Man Cold. I'm totally forwarding this stuff! how did I miss this post????


HOLY CRAPOLA. This is too funny. The man cold really did it for me though. Seriously!!! SERIOUSLY!

What the wife selects on her console will be paid for by the husband.

I want THAT husband!

Oh, and btw I'm sending this from my electronic correspondence machine, but it's not the home one, and I just overheard the janitor say he called the FBI. Gotta go -- this could be interesting!

I respectfully submit The Badonkadonk as the funniest Item AND reviews on Amazon.

Oh Amalia, that's pretty wonderful.

I must be in a bad mood, because the ManCold video actually seemed to display the same sort of attitudes as the 1969 Internet.

Okay, we know how the pig got the flu. Who gave it to the kid?

Ick. Going to fetch the iodine and disinfectant now.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

you made me laugh

buwahahahahahahah! I'm laughing at Jonathan's comment. HILARIOUS!

*gag* *gag* *gag*

Eeeeew!

Made you laugh? Cool!

Keep that in mind if ever see my name on a query... :-)

I've lost most of my respect for this blog after reading the book tailer thread. Closing comments because they are not of the "you're so great" variety? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

GROSS!!!! hahahaha

I question the unspringing sandalled toes and the shameless zoom fingers.

Oh gosh, I just went and read the book trailer thread. How childish it all was. If you don't like a trailer, that's fine, feel free to say so - not go into long, angry, attack-type posts about it. Geez.

I liked the trailer, and I think it's a novel (no pun intended) and interesting way of advertising a book - especially considering the book's aimed at YA, who are the main YouTube users (so far as I know).

Fair enough for locking further comments, moonrat - it was just all starting to go round in circles.

Also: Ewwww about this post! I love Jonathan E. Quist's comment though. :D

That's pretty bad. Turning something beautiful like a child's innocent first kiss on a pig into a joke. You should all be ashamed of yourself.

;)

aw young swine love. Thanks for sharing this. It maded me laugh despite the fact that I'm having exams and have not revised.

Super fun. Needed that to make it through the last day of classes!

ha ha.

wait until you see the one I've got about piglet and pooh!

mwahahahahaha

BLECH!!!! said the little piggy..

ngh... cute picture though...;-)

ew.

My sis sent me this pic--way too cute!!

I've seen this picture all over the place and it's funny every time!

I have one thing to say after seeing that...I feel dirty! :)

More a lick than a kiss. I am telling myself that it's probably no worse than kissing the dog....

I got this in an email, and that version had a caption as well: "Thanks a lot, you little bastard. You've killed us all."

Super double yuck! ;)

Alvah’s Books recommended your blog and this photo was well worth the trip!

NICE. Bring them all over to read my silly comments. Thanks.

I did read the post about the beach balls...HILARIOUS! The funny thing is we just learned all about how stuff like this happens this semester. I could write a whole blog post and the stuff we learned about what predicaments people get themselves into.

I also read the royalty statement...very enlightening!

Sorry my grammar/flow was atrocious. But I did just finish a second glass of vino. Please forgive.

I have read George Eliot's "Middlemarch"--twice actually. Once in Grade 12 English class, and once somewhere in the early 1990s.

effin. that royalty thing is mildly depressing.

Middlemay! What a great idea. I have never read MIDDLEMARCH, but just watched the BBC production with Rufus Sewell (ahem). When I saw this I wandered over to Amazon and discovered I could DL it to my Kindle for $0.00. Truly.

So I'm in.

Cold water, warm sun the two usually go together . . . unless you plan on skinny dipping and sleeping, oh yeah, and you're a guy

;-)

very interestin to read about the royalty statement...remind me agian why we continue writing?

And, having just returned from beautiful Croatia I feel truly sympathetic to poor,poor Mario and his beach experience. My dh just winced.

Sorry for mistakes. It's early here and I'm running late with morning chores (Blogging instead of preparing breakfast for dh!) :O

I own Middlemarch! I own a copy! I own...so, obviously you have been going through my head because I own it but haven't read it...I'm in too!

Thank you!

Haha. Stephan, you win. I knew NOTHING about you at all!!

re: Middlemay: so glad! Yay!

I was getting some books together for the library sale and came across my old musty copy of Middlemarch from the college days. I tossed it in the box. But, I suppose I could hang on to it for another ten years.

Middlemarch--my favorite novel of all time. Yay for more Middlemarch readers! You all are going to love it.

Now, if only there was a month devoted to Les Miserables...

HA! You are wrong. I read MIDDLEMARCH in highschool.

(I did not like it, mind, but I slogged...er, read the whole thing.) :)

Enjoy Middlemay. I'll be joining you when you get to ShakespeareJune (or something)

Ah... MIDDLEMARCH... May I join you? It IS on my Top 50 Gap list (haven't posted yet, scrabbled in a notebook). And my life eases so much in about a week. Tonight I'll post on Emily's blog... if the celebration vino (end-of-week, nothing stellar like snagging an agent) and Survivor don't do me in first.

Peace, linda

George Elliot? No thank you. Read her in college, and if I had to do it again I'd slit my wrists first I swear.

As for the beach balls, I laughed so hard when I read that yesterday it disrupted the office. And having had a good half dozen emergency room nurses for friends, I have heard some wacky tales of Stupid Human Tricks. The one Travis shared is pretty much top of the list, though.

MR - we are now official at 50 members for the 'fill in the gap' blog. Wahooo!!!

only 50 more places left. . . . ;)

LOL.

1) Wrong.
2) Autmatically wrong because of 1)
3) Maybe.

:)

I heart you, moonie. I'll be hunkered down in final grading mode until around May 20th. But I might pop in after my brain recovers for a teensy bit of Middlemay.

Sorry MR; I read Middlemarch already--very long plane trip. I don't remember enjoying it so much that I'd want to do it again. But maybe the next time you do one of these?

i believe i have warned you re: middlemarch before. x

That libel case is fraught with implications for journalism.

I DO want to join Middlemay! I do, I do!

Ahhh, Middlemarch. It's a shame teachers force this novel onto high-schoolers: the novel demands to be read by more mature readers who have experienced something of long-term relationships (esp. marriage without an easy escape clause), the withering away of a fierce ideal, discovering that one's own self has become a sell-out, a certain bewilderment about the difference between who we thought we would be and who we became, and all the while, in the background, our village life and values are being erased by the industrial machine of progress.

So it's not for nothing that Virginia Woolf famously described the novel as "one of the few English novels written for grown-ups." Most scholars, actually, consider Middlemarch THE greatest of all the English novels. I'm a professor of nineteenth-century British literature, and I do, too! The novel is one of the few nineteenth-century works to BEGIN with a marriage...instead of ending with a "happily-ever-after" wedding. Not even Austen thought of that!!

Middlemarch is one of the great 10-year novels: you gotta reread it every 10 years as your life experiences change...

Whew! Thanks for letting me GUSH!
Cheers, Tamilyn

Thanks for the linkage. Some things just beg to be written about.

I had to read Middlemarch twice in college. I barely got through it (same with Bleak House). Good luck!

That bird is the very reason why I publicly acknowledge my inability to dance.

Ye gods, that was funny... Wonder how many perches he goes through in a year? :)

Very funny!

I love when he shakes his head. Too cute.

I love the head whirl thing. Amazing he didn't fall off his perch. That was even funnier than my 2-year old doing the "Elaine from Seinfeld' dance- all herky jerky with thrusting legs move.

Now who can say animals don't have souls. This is why I'm a vegetarian - who can eat anything as clever as that?? :):)

Thanks for that. Nice to smile in the middle of the day!

Do all parrots do that? I grew up with a Scarlet Macaw and the only move he had that I was aware of was the "I'm going to take a chunk of flesh from your arm, little girl" move.

That macaw's one of the reasons I enjoy fried chicken.

I laughed so hard. John Travolta, move over.

That was the best start to a day EVER.

You were right, moonie. It did make my day! Thanks for the laughs.

Thisiswhyyourefat could be the picture book of my life.

I really want to try a deep-fried Cadbury Egg now...

These pics are enough to make a cat cough up a hairball.
www.ConfuciusCat.blogspot.com

Oh lord...did anyone else see the deep fried banana split??

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU MOONRAT?! You can't do this to your readers...just not right.

Thanks for the fun links now I know why I'm fat and hungry right now.

Thx for the link on Roman literacy. Very interesting!

I wonder if the deep-friend Creme Egg is related to the deep-friend Mars Bar?

There was a book released in Australia a few years back called 'Cooking with Fat' and it was glorious. There was supposed to be a sequel, but I think one of the authors died or something.

I love thisiswhyyourefat's tagline of 'where dreams become heart attacks'.

OK, better get to school, I'm helping my son's class out in gym this morning. I'd better jog there ...

Cadbury cream eggs are my favorite. My mom just gave me three of them for my birthday. :9 I've never tried one deep fried. Fascinating.

Deep fried Cadbury creme eggs -- I never thought I'd run across anything I wanted more than deep-fried Coca Cola, but now you've given me a new goal in life.

I'm going to make these and serve them in the bacon bowls you featured a couple of days ago.

I love those things and this is great, just great now I make them at will

Cause I am so not thin enough

OMG that is a lot of shortening...

Call me lazy, but I'll probably sit on some of the fat ones...

You just had to post something like this right after I began a weight loss bet.

I even bet you knew that spiced rum and thin mints were one of my favorite snack beverage combos in the world.

Wow Travis - I totally gotta try that. Sounds like something Jimmy Buffet would have written/sung about. ;)

Thin Mints in Paradise
Spiced Rumville


Yummmm.

yeah, travis, that sounds a little amazing.

You are now my official hero, Moonrat!

Crap. Bye, bye money.

The sheep are cool, but the toucan and monkey? Priceless.

P.S. I refuse to add yet another blog to my reading list. ;-)

I thought I was cuted out. But, no.

Mmmnnn. Makes me want to go to Jason's Deli or Ruby Tuesdays for the salad bar. YUM.

Before I married a carnivore, I was a vegan. Now, several years later, I almost never feel guilty about eating meat.

However, I still close my eyes when handling raw meat. It is an eccentric habit that my husband has attempted to convince me is hypocritical, to no avail.


Agreed. The sheep are the best.



Confucius says, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

These are so cool!

Sooki--i REALLY hope you don't close your eyes when you're SLICING meat!!

I love the sheep.

I must disagree. The banana dolphins are teh best.

Aw, those sheep.

Someone probably told the artist not to play with her food. I'm glad she ignored that advice!

Blissfully, I'm a raw-meat-slicing virgin. If the butcher doesn't hack the poor dear to pieces, then I cook it intact. The raison d'être for my nuttiness is wiggling flesh and emancipated blood. It is a broad and puzzling hang up, and a boundless spring of hilarity to my brood.

Once, and I mean only once, I inched away from my quirk and dressed a recently caught Northwest trout, only to have the deceased fiend smack my hand with its tail. The knife whirled from my grasp and rudely ensconced in my bare foot. Warts and all, my quirk flooded back to mama.

Though, I guess, the episode does relegate me to a raw-meat-slicing semi-virgin. No stumblewit me. I know there is no such thing as a semi-virgin, yet I cannot reckon a quick little prick toppled my crown--do you?



Confucius says, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

Hahaha... Who says creativity is dead? I think I'm on the dolphin team though, that's a dang cute poster....

For a carnivore like me witha personal motto of ... "Lettuce is the devil," those pics are the stuff of nightmares.

I love the sheep!I would bite their little black olive heads off!

Squeeeee!! Those sheep are adorable :D. Thanks for posting these!

haha sorry, Travis. sounds traumatic.

Aw, those are so cute!

the sheep are soo cute!!

I particularly love the sheep, with toucan/monkey/jungle second best.

I love them all, but my favorite is the mango armadillo. :)

At least, that's how the novel looked when it was first submitted...

In all honesty, I would like to one day reach the combination of boredom, creativity, engineering, and alcohol required to do something like that.

Amazing but I can't help wondering if this person has any sort of social life at all?

Looking for publishing metaphors here...

:)

Not to mention that it's sacrilegious to do that to a little piece of heaven that we only get once a year! :shock:

I'll admit though, pretty creative. In a warped, twisted sort of way...

And you can't eat it afterwards which seems like a sin to me...

Who knew there were people out there with that much time on their hands.

It's been a lifelong dream of mine to actually meet someone who's built a Rube Goldberg machine. So far, no luck. This is brilliant -- and I love The Jew Brothers soundtrack to go along with it :)

Absolutely amazing, although nightsmusic has it right with the sacrilege thing. But still, incredible, and SO much work!

Heather, did you know they freeze really well? Thanks to modern technology, I can now buy them and freeze them this time of year and enjoy them in October. *sigh* bliss...

;)

Far too much time on their hands. They must not be in publishing.

Egg-selent.
Egg-squisite.
Egg-siting.



Egg-stremely sorry for the puns. :(

My boys really love those and the creator is a true egghead - and I mean that in a good way.

If you're looking for a publishing metaphor, we writers are the eggs, folks. We go through all sorts of twists and turns to get our work into bookstores, and in the end, sometimes we still get "creamed," so to speak.

On the bright side, don't you just LOVE Cadbury eggs? Mmm...Great video!

awesome

i might do that when i get home

Let's guess - a boondoggling writer avoiding his manuscript?

Kate--seems rather likely. Also, I will now be using the word "boondoggling" at least once a day.

The entire time I watched this video, I felt a dull ache of dread--like...will the egg be saved? Will it be OK?? Alas no, that egg is definitely NOT ok. However, I was able to watch the video over and over. ;-)

Wow! Talk about the impermanency of art... It's inspiring to see people put that much care and love into something.

Amazing. And, I thought our ”Vampire Mickey” was great at Halloween - but it doesn't even compare.

Some real artists here - but I like the big mouth ;-)

This gets me wondering, how do people discover their hobbies?
Love the tongue:)

who knew?

Wow, that's pretty amazing. I admire folks with this kind of skill. I know I don't possess it.

Way cool! And amazing to boot.

Whoa! That's so much better than some pumpkins I've seen.

The best I can manage is to scoop out the insides and knock up a 40s basin haircut, so hats off to these guys.

How cool!

It makes me so happy to live in a world where all things--including a proliferance of watermelon art--are possible.

Okay, that watermelon is very cool. Once a year I carve a pumpkin, I usually get bored about halfway through and just give up. Those people have more drive than me :)

Is he related to Opus I wonder? Would that explain Opus's fantastic dreams of flying?

Great story -- if it can happen to Nils, maybe it can happen to any of us!

My pleasure.

OMG! Unbelievable.

What a way to retell the "I think I can, I think I can" story. ;)

What precie said.

On the evidence of your last two posts, MR, you have impeccable taste in Things To Make Us Feel Goofy.

Damn! that is amazing. I can only wonder what the crew were feeling. How terrifying, and then exhilirating to come out the other side.

OMG!!! This is unbelievable! (Wait, Precie just said that.)

Thanks for sharing with us! I love these stories!!
:-)

Amazing picture story!!!

I'd heard that tugboats are pretty sturdy and all, but I didn't realize they could be almost fully swamped and recover instead of sink!

That's pretty impressive. I would have worried that the bridge wasn't wide enough to clear the boat (going through sideways!), but it looks like they didn't have a choice as to whether they wanted to try it or not.

Oh, I can't wait to share this with The Missus. She is -- I cringe to report -- apesh!t over the Tarzan movies. :)

Is this what people mean when they say it's important to have a platform?

What wonderful news. I'm especially happy to know he is being cared for so well.

AWWWW!

A wonderful post, Bruce - and a great reminder to us all to love the process and stop worrying about the reactions of others.I'm honored to be mentioned on your terrific blog.Barbara O'Connor

Congratulations on receiving the award. The attributions considered for it by Kearney and Klaser do a good job of describing the author of Wordswimmer. Have a prosperous New Year.

Congratulations! Happy New Year!

Thanks so much, Bruce. We're honored you chose Writer Unboxed as one of your Lions!Kathleen Bolton (who lost her blogger password and can't remember it :-( )

Thank you, Bruce -- you made my New Year's Eve Eve!

Thank you for so 'nuttily' accepting this award. Well, if FIVE people say you are a little nutty, there's no way of beating around the bush, is there? Welcome to the Large Club of People that are a Little Nutty. And thank you for awarding it back to me as well. I too have given up pretending I am sane & normal..
-Jos:)

What a fun award! I love your take on what happens when three people say something!

Jos, LOL There isn't any point in pretending is there? Thank you and congrats Jos. :)))

thankyou fellow nutbar....:):):)...I'm at 5 as well so I guess that confirms it.....:):)

Patois, Isn't it though? A fun award, I mean and it was fun writing this post. Thank you for the compliment on my analogy. I don't know where in the world I heard that, but it's a pretty scary thought isn't it? In addition to total baloney!

(LOL) Congrats on your well deserved nuttiness~

Ann

Oh no Robert, you too? Yep, five is a pretty high number. Try to tell a fruitcake you're not a nut and see if it believes you. LOL

Congrats on another one!

Ann

Ann,

If being a little nutty puts me in the same category as you, then I am proud to accept this award and be in your company.

Mel, That is sooo sweet! And likewise, my friend~

Congrats~

Ann

Seems all of us whack-os are in good company. Hope the furniture has left you alone this weekend...

Actually Ann... nutty is putting it mildly... I think I may be certifiable! :)))

Well, it does take a nut to know one sweetie. Bwahahahahah. I think you have a fine list here and thanks for including me. I'll admit it, I'm a bit more that a little nutty. Big hug. :)

Bud, LOL Don't worry, I've been avoiding the cat~

Congrats~

Ann

Dawn, That's true, you do have "certifiable" somewhere on your profile don't you? (LOL) Or was that Ann's name? (Laugh) Oh well, we're still birds of a feather and you know what they say about them. LOL

Hugs~

Ann

Sandee, Oh yes, you're definitely in there with the rest of us. (LOL) Oh, you meant I would have to be nutty to know the rest of you? LOL Yep, you're right, I'm all stocked up here. (Smile)

Hugs~ Ann

Ann! Five people thought you were nutty...LOL Oh boy that hurts LOL
Don't worry the CHristmas chef will probably give you a wide berth if you're that nutty! LOL

Cheers and thanks for thinking I'm a nut too! LOL

Adrian, You're more than welcome and congrats~ And thanks for being one of the nuttiest bloggers I know. :))

Ann

Oh thank you Ann I think I am a bit nutty now and it feels good. Will take good care not to loose it. Thanks Ann

Thanks Ann!! I LUV it and sooo true!

Thanks for recognizing my nuttiness. I can see by all the people here that I'm in esteemed company.

:)

Have a great week.

Marja, You're most welcome-And be careful around any Christmas cooks!

Congrats-Hugs~

Ann

diamonssaphire, Your welcome, and you're right. This award was such fun and simple to find people to nominate~

:))

Ann

Oh anytime Bob~ You're the king of nutty, and I agree, you're in esteemed company~

:)

Ann

now that is a website that I have to bookmark...good stuff Ann...and congrats...a secret admirer...very intriguing...

My friend, you are one of my idols, and I tell you this - you deserve all the awards you get and more! Congratulations.

Misty, I think that is the kindest thing anyone's ever said to me. It put tears in my eyes. Thank you so much, I think the world of you too. And any friend of a border collies is a friend of mine.

Hugs~ Ann

P.S- I was real close to my parents border collie who just recently passed away. I loved him so...he was my son's golden retriever's love interest all her life, and she's passed away too. Dogs do not live long enough.

Congratiulations Ann With all these awards. This is nice with your name on it. You work very hard for it so you deserve it. Have a nice day. Summer has set in here so a lot of BBQ ing and other summer stuff going on in NZ

Thank you so much Marja, I really can't believe it. Did you see where I nominated you for the Brad The Blog bee award? Click on the "read more" at the bottom of the post.

Congrats, because you too deserve it!

Hugs~
Ann

Congrats. young lady well deserved..if I was a bettin man I would say that post might have done it.....

Awww...that is soo cool. Congrates to you Ann!

Ann you do spoil me! Thanks so much! Again and again and again.... :)))

Congratulations and thank you Ann. You always think of me and that's so nice. I'll try to get a post up today. Have a great day. :)

Ann,
Thank you. This is so cool.

Dawn, I love your Santa Hat! Your avatar is adorable. Your welcome, and thank you again and again~ :)

Congrats~

Sandee, How could I not think of you? You always think of me too for that matter. In addition, you do make a great buzz in the blogosphere everyday.

I just think you're the greatest~

Ann

Thankyou young lady..it's awesome...thankyou again ,and again and again...just teasing the young lady in the Santa hat....:):):)

Robert, Isn't Dawn's hat great? We like to thank each other again and again and again... what are friends for? So you're welcome, again and again and again, and Congrats ''''and''and thank you, again and again...and again...

Smile

Mel, You're so welcome. You're so cool. Congrats~

Ann

Thank you Ann - I am so honored! It means a lot to me that you visit my blog, let alone give me awards!

Misty, Are you kidding? You have a fantasitc blog and deserve this award. Congrats~

By the way I love your Christmas decorations. :))

Ann

Wonderful post Ann! Thank you for awarding me Brad's badge. I think it's adorable and Mike did a wonderful job. Brad has been bzzzzy working on some stuff for my blog. I am turning it over to him soon for the Holiday break and my annual birthday vacation time. He said he loves your blog so much.

Ann thank you so much Usually I always clck on the read more. I missed this post somehow. You are tooo good.

Hi Ann-

Congrats to you and thank you for thinking of me. I am honored!

B.

Hi Ann!

Sorry for my "tardy" acceptance... this week was a bonecrusher at work. Thank the Lord it's over :-)

We just had our first blizzard here in Minnesota. It's looking like a white Christmas ahead. Good time to bundle up indoors and stay home for the rest of my one day weekend.

I'm off to post this up, and thank you so very much!!!! It is nice to see that "Blog Bee" buzzin` around at Speedcat Hollydale. Hope you are having a bright shiny day full of smiles - you gave one to me.

Your pal in Minnesota, SpeedyCat

Ho! Ho! Ho! Ann. I just returned from a short break and trying to catch up and found this wonderful surprize that you left me. Thank you Ann. You're a wonderful friend and I really do appreciate it.

Santa ô¿ô

Ann,
Congratulations and thank you so very much for thinking of me.
I apologise for my delay in getting back to you :(
This award is awesome :)
Have awonderful week,
Colin

Polli, I'm so glad you and Brad liked the post, and congrats on your award. I'm thrilled that Brad nominated me for one. Its so adorable, and I had fun giving it out. You and Brad are the greatest, and I'm sorry for the delay in my reply. I just realized I haven't responded to some of these comments. :)))

Hugs~

Ann

Marja, Congrats! I'm so glad you found it~

Hugs~

Bud, You're are most welcome, congrats, and thank you~ :))

Ann

Hello my pal in Minnesota, I'm late on replying to you so things worked out great! For some reason I thought I replied to these comments and just noticed I hadn't... I don't know if you're reading this one or not, but if you are congrats, and keep warm and don;t work too hard. :))

Congrats again and stay warm~

Colin, Please don't worry about tardiness. In fact, if you hadn't left this comment, I wouldn't have noticed comments that needed a reply. So thank you and congrats! :))


Ann

Santa, HO ho ho back to you! I hope you enjoyed a much needed rest, and that you don't have too hard of a time catching up. I know I speak for all of us when I say that I missed you, and am glad you're back. You're a good friend as well~

Ann

Oh and congrats!

Hi Ann, good job and you are ever so kind :)

Ann,
Goodness, I feel special!! You know how much I enjoy your blog and it just tickles me to no end that you enjoy mine!! Thanks!!!!!

Ann, you know how much I love your blog, so it's no suprise to me that you've been given this recognition! I'm so grateful for you sharing it with me!! I'm always so honored by your comments and you always bring a smile!!!

It appears I never thanked you for giving me this award Ann. I am glad you drop by from time to time and visit. I do the same.

See ya.