Removing the feeding tube from our aging hipster plaid pants

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
When the owners keep the doors and windows shut so that the cats don't go outside. Or have them confined to the backyard (yes, I know this isn't easy, but it can be done).

I don't think it's nice to shoot cats, but I also don't think it's nice to let your pet cat maul and kill birds. Buy the damn cat some insects.

If its okay for your cat to kill insects, its okay for it to kill birds, which means its okay for us to kill cats. either "higher" species can kill lower, or they can't. absolute. unless you think birds and cats are "equal" and thus have no license to kill one another-

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
When the owners keep the doors and windows shut so that the cats don't go outside. Or have them confined to the backyard (yes, I know this isn't easy, but it can be done).

I don't think it's nice to shoot cats, but I also don't think it's nice to let your pet cat maul and kill birds. Buy the damn cat some insects.

It is possible to confine cats, but in the examples you cited they aren't doing much listening.

Why shouldn't a cat maul and kill birds? They are hunters, it's part of the circle of life. We've got ospreys, hawks, the occasional bald eagle and even coyotes in my neighborhood*. They hunt to survive. Should I start a movemoent to put a net over the pond to save the fish? Maybe a habittrail contraption in the trees to protect the squirrels? I don't know what can be done to protect the birds, or racoons, or skunks, or weasels, or rats, or pigeons.

*Yes, there is real wildlife within the Boston city limits.

[Someone's Evil Twin]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
If its okay for your cat to kill insects, its okay for it to kill birds, which means its okay for us to kill cats. either "higher" species can kill lower, or they can't. absolute. unless you think birds and cats are "equal" and thus have no license to kill one another-

2.

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
I once interviewed someone who listing "cooking with garlic." Which struck me as fantastic.

If I've just outed myself to anyone, let me know, 'kay?

mmmmm garlic.

Anyone ever been to the Gilroy Garlic Festival?

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Anne Elk
It is possible to confine cats, but in the examples you cited they aren't doing much listening.

Why shouldn't a cat maul and kill birds? They are hunters, it's part of the circle of life. We've got ospreys, hawks, the occasional bald eagle and even coyotes in my neighborhood*. They hunt to survive. Should I start a movemoent to put a net over the pond to save the fish? Maybe a habittrail contraption in the trees to protect the squirrels? I don't know what can be done to protect the birds, or racoons, or skunks, or weasels, or rats, or pigeons.

*Yes, there is real wildlife within the Boston city limits.

Housecats aren't killing for food, though. They're doing it for sport. Instinctive sport, but sport nonetheless. Under your logic, it would be OK, as Hank apparently said, for us to shoot them for sport.

I bet the furs could be used for something. Really soft cat or dog beds, maybe.

(this one goes out to Ollie)

I sleep better at night and the bags under my ears are practically gone.

"Ear Candling," also known as auricular candling or coning, refers to various procedures that involve placing a cone-shaped device in the ear canal and supposedly extracting earwax and other impurities with the help of smoke or a burning wick. The origins of candling are obscure. Ancient Tibet, China, Egypt, the pre-Columbian Americas, and even the mythical city of Atlantis are cited as possible contributors. The procedures supposedly create a low-level vacuum that draws wax and other debris out of the ear canal. Some proponents even claim that impurities are removed from the inner ear, the facial sinuses, or even the brain itself, all of which are somehow connected to the canal. Proponents claim that candling can:

relieve sinus pressure and pain
cleanse the ear canal
improve hearing
assist lymphatic circulation
regulate pressure
purify the mind
strengthen the brain
relieve pain and fever associated with a ruptured eardrum
cure swimmer's ear and other ear infections
relieve earaches
act as an alternative to "tubes put in your ears"
sharpen the senses of smell, taste, and color perception
stabilize emotions
stop tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
help TMJ pain and stiffness
relieve vertigo
fortify the central nervous system
clear the eyes,
purify the blood,
act as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, or antibiotic
cure Meniere's syndrome
aid sinusitis
release blocked energy
reduce stress and tension
cure auricular zona (a herpes zoster infection of the ear)
open and align the chakras
open the spiritual centers and cleanse the auric bodies.



Products and Procedures
Most ear candles sold in the United States are manufactured here or in Canada and retail for between $2 and $10. They can be made of linen or cotton (often unbleached, as practitioners claim that chlorine is bad for the ears ) soaked in wax or paraffin and allowed to harden. (Ironically, one manufacturer uses only pure beeswax, claiming that paraffin is carcinogenic.). Some candles are colored, which is controversial in ear-candling circles, though the color of pure beeswax varies. Home varieties include wax-soaked newspaper and cones of pottery into which herbal smoke is blown. Some waxes contain herbs or other substances, including sage, chamomile, rose, rosemary, burdock root, osha root, periwinkle, jojoba, quassia bark, yucca root, or honey. White Egret, Inc., of Dallas, Texas, offers candles, plate guards, a 73-page manual, a 30-minute videotape, flame-retardant cloths, ear oil, and an otoscope. Its wholesale flyer states that its candles are "for entertainment only" and that its kits "supply you with everything you need for a safe and effective session of entertainment." [1]

Most instructions direct the person undergoing the procedure to lie on his or her side. A collecting plate is placed above the ear, and the candle is inserted through a hole in the plate and into the ear canal. The candle is lit, and as the wick burns down, it is often trimmed. Some advocate using a toothpick to maintain a hole in the top of the hollow candle throughout the procedure. After the candle is blown out and removed, a cotton swab is used to gently remove visible earwax from the ear, and "ear oil" is often applied. Some practitioners place the still-hot candle in a bowl of water, and claim that everything in it which is not obviously beeswax is earwax, toxins, dead skin, drug residues, or remnants of past yeast infections, none of which has been verified. Nearly all package directions indicate that the ear will feel warm but not hot, and that the experience will be relaxing or even spiritual in nature.

Testing By Skeptics
Candling is occasionally offered as a service at health expositions. Rebecca Long, president of the Georgia Council Against Health Fraud, made the following observations at the 1992 Discovery Expo in Atlanta, Georgia:

One exhibition was doing ear candling for $30. The people selling this said that the suction created by the candle "cleared your mind and sinuses." I questioned them enough to establish that they meant this literally and believed the ear was an opening from the brain and sinuses. The woman running the booth stated, "It cleans the whole head, brains and all - they're all connected you know." The candling was performed on a table at the front of the booth, so the curious sight of a person lying there with a burning candle sticking out of his ear drew many spectators. During the procedure, a gray mixture of soot and wax drippings collected on a pie plate under the candle. It did not look like melted candle wax, but was quite foul in appearance. Customers were told that these were the "impurities" of which they had been cleansed, and many went around proudly showing them off, comparing their debris to that of others, and making knowing comments. The vendor also peddled "psychic readings."

After the show, Long bought a package of ear candles at a local health-food store and, with help from a friend, carefully followed the package directions. She found that the candling produced a hissing sound similar to that of a conch shell held against the ear, but much louder. However, the air inside her ear became so hot that she had to stop the experiment.

More recently, two investigators tested candles to see whether the wax accumulated after burning came entirely from the candle or included wax that came from the ear. To do this they burned candles with the tip (a) inside the ear, (b) outside the ear, so the wax dripped into a bowl of water, and (b) inside the ear but with a tube in place that would permit ear wax to move into the tube but would block candle wax from moving downward. They demonstrated that all residue originated from the candle and that no ear wax was removed from the ear [2].

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
That said, I've never been as clueless or as happy as my freshman year of college.

Junior Year was better. Shit, they were all great. Thats the rub with a great childhood/college/grad school life. The rest seems so utterly dull.

People actually ask me sometimes whether I feel a sense of accomplishment about career stuff. There is a whole sector of the world that just doesn't understand how good life can be. I almost wish I didn't know. Its like getting Ketel One at the begining of the party and then being told at 10:00 that all they have left is Smirnoff.

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
(this one goes out to Ollie)

I sleep better at night and the bags under my ears are practically gone.

"Ear Candling," stuff

Neti Pot Update:
Tinnitus - still there
Dark Circles under my eyes - a little better
Sping time allergies - non-existent!!!!

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Junior Year was better. Shit, they were all great. Thats the rub with a great childhood/college/grad school life. The rest seems so utterly dull.

People actually ask me sometimes whether I feel a sense of accomplishment about career stuff. There is a whole sector of the world that just doesn't understand how good life can be. I almost wish I didn't know. Its like getting Ketel One at the begining of the party and then being told at 10:00 that all they have left is Smirnoff.

Worse. We picked the Smirnoff as a replacement.

[spookyfish]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Its like getting Ketel One at the begining of the party and then being told at 10:00 that all they have left is Smirnoff.

So you'd rather get fucked up on the well vodka before enjoying the good stuff?

Makes sense to me.

[ABBAKiss]

Originally posted by spookyfish
It's kind of hard to tell from the distance, but that doesn't look like a bad nosejob to me.

I am not certain she's had anything done? What are you alleging is fake?

Originally posted by Oliver_Wendell_Ramone
Joining Paigs at the vegetarian table?

It's 9:40 in the morning, and I'm thinking about a porterhouse and a big cab. This can't be good.

Let me tell you , little dude, that I was actually a birdatarian for awhile. Then I saw Survivor last week. I have one word for you "beaks".

I think Sebby and I should fuck.

Originally posted by sunnybunny
I don't care what she calls herself, Paigs is not a vegetarian, unless shrimp started growing on trees or something.



Sunny (ovo-lacto) Bunny

At the moment, I am a shellfishatarian. But at least I am not an avid consumer of cow stomach lining. Soy cheese pizza, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
I think Sebby and I should fuck.

I agree. Do it for the board.


Heh. I said "do it."

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Anne Elk
It is possible to confine cats, but in the examples you cited they aren't doing much listening.

Why shouldn't a cat maul and kill birds? They are hunters, it's part of the circle of life. We've got ospreys, hawks, the occasional bald eagle and even coyotes in my neighborhood*. They hunt to survive. Should I start a movemoent to put a net over the pond to save the fish? Maybe a habittrail contraption in the trees to protect the squirrels? I don't know what can be done to protect the birds, or racoons, or skunks, or weasels, or rats, or pigeons.

*Yes, there is real wildlife within the Boston city limits.

My understanding is that cats are not a natural predetor in Wisconsin and most other parts of the country. Cats also tend to not eat what they kill. All of the predators you mentioned eventually end up eating whatever it is they get their hands/paws/talons on.