30 Comments on “The Secret to My Success, Alas”

1. Inane blog posts beget inane replies, like this one.

2. Happy? Now I’ve seen a picture of your cat, immensely.

3. In our defence, John, that is a fine-looking cat.

4. 1 picture == 1000 words

   Works for me.

5. Yes the cat pictures are the only reason I’m here. My only complain is that you insist on writing something too. And it’s not in LOLcatz on the cat photo. UR doing it wrong. Correct it and you’re rating will skyrocket :P

6. You sound like Chang-Not-Chang, Ellestra. Come to think of it, he’s likely to be pleased by this one … Ghlaghghee is indeed a very pretty kitty. Now *I* want a kitty … and I cannot have one here, it would eat the dogs! DAMN YOU JOHN SCALVI.

7. Personally I’m here for the “If you sent an important e-mail last week I might have missed it so please re-send” posts. I like the drama.

   Cat pictures are nice, but I’m in touch with lots of writers and thus see many pictures of their cats in lieu of word production.

8. I think we’re all happy now, with the possible exception of Chang = Not Chang, who will, no doubt, find something to nitpick about your photographic technique.

9. I like what you’re doing there, hugh57, though shouldn’t it be written Chang != Chang?

10. There is a line where a running joke becomes an irritant, and I personally feel Chang-Not-Chang crossed it several years before I started reading.

11. Merus: If Cha(not)ng doesn’t make the joke after a photo of the feline is posted, it doesn’t seem like the entry is complete. I spent an afternoon coming back to the comments on a Glagawaki photo until Cha(not)ng replied, waiting for that shoe to drop.

12. John, I’d different than the rest of the posters.

    I could care less about the cat (apologies to Ghlaghghee).

    You, John, are my primary news source about bacon. Where else could I get my sugar-cured, hickory smoked news?

13. I’s love to look at pictures of your cats, but 90% of your images are blocked by my workplace (I’m assuming it’s due to them being stored at a site such as Flickr, which is blocked by BlueCoat classification).

14. I hope to never see a day when a picture of a cat fails to cheer me up, even if just a little.

15. Oops. I forgot to change my nick back *blushes*

16. O Great Scalzi, what a superb picture of Magnificent She pensively contemplating Her Domain.

    The Executive Committee of The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club, a quorum being duly assembled, and this image being apparently perfect, has decided to award you the coveted

    The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club Seal of Approval Award
    valid from 21 June 2009 to 30 June 2009

    Well done for a change.

    The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club

17. Wow, the seal of approval is valid for what seems to be a very very long time–longer than usual, anyway. Possibly you have outdone yourself, John.

18. I suspect this answer has been questioned several times, but….

    So out of the billions of fans John has who comments here, we only have two Changs?

    Or is there a third who has decided to use a different signature to avoid further confusion?

19. Wait, we have two Changs?
    I thought we just had the one, who wants everyone to know that he isn’t one, or isn’t that one, or something. I mean, I may have seen some thread in which someone else also posted as a Chang, but I thought that was an insincere use of the name, intended to tweak the Chang who isn’t Chang.

20. I’m actually here for pictures of the dog, could we have one please? :)

21. I’m still trying to figure out how you get candid pictures of your cats. In our house, a camera is either the best toy in the world or the gravest provocation. Just getting it out is enough to grab the cats’ attention. And forget can openers, the “click-whir” of a newly-powered up camera is enough to summon the cats from any corner of the house. There’s no surer way to ruin a candid cat moment then turning on a camera.

    I have many close-ups of cat noses and paws. How’d you get your cats to ignore the camera and get on with the important business of being lovely, photogenic or cute?

22. They’re just used to it, I suppose.

23. Warren #19:

    To quote chang, who is not chang:

    “I am Chang, who is not Chang. How is this not perfectly clear? This other person some foolish commenters have confused me with is best referred to as Previous Chang.”

    Source: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/04/06/for-some-reason-i-have-a-feeling-you-may-need-a-cat-picture-today/

    Comment #42 (what other number would it be?)

    Comments # 13,15,19,21,24,28,31,32,33,34,37,39,40 and 41 all preceded #42

24. This is how it happens. For days, the figurehead is rarely seen, and we’re told he’s indisposed for one reason or another. Maybe he makes a brief appearance on a balcony, too far away to be clearly made out.

    Then, after much behind-the-scenes maneuvering to ensure that her power is secure, one morning we’ll come here and read that the cat has officially assumed control.

    I think I’m prepared for it by now. She does photograph well, doesn’t she?

25. John Mark Ockerbloom @24 The cat has it’s own blog:
    http://scalzicat.blogspot.com/2006/09/today-scalzi-taped-bacon-to-my-fur.html

    Why would it take this one over?

26. Me, I’m just here for the wielding of the LMoC. People have been entirely too civil lately; I’m getting bored.

27. That is definitely a terrific-looking cat, very deserving of a large audience.

28. Now I’m very happy, thanks. LOVE that cat.

29. What I’m really waiting for is the cat’s first novel.

30. What I’m really waiting for is the cat’s first novel.

    Wait, is that the secret project?