32 Comments on “View Out the Window, 9/18/09”

1. View out of the window?

   That’s actually the biggest cat flap in the world.

2. Nice wide field of fire on the driveway there, Scalzi.

   I approve. I approve.

3. Yes, but what kind of thoughts? World domination? “How to Serve Man” readings when the regular food runs out?

4. No, Ghlaghghee is clearly remembering her ancestors. Her posture is positively leonine.

5. No no… Ghlaghghee is thinking… ‘where’s that mouse I was going to disembowel and leave on th e Tormentor’s chair at dinnertime?’ while Kodi is thinking “Sausage!”

6. Speculating on what Ghlaghghee is thinking? You’re just feeling the need to be upbraided by Chang (who isn’t Chang), I guess, and decided to throw out the bait.

7. I’m only here to see Chang-Not-Chang’s post.

8. O Great Scalzi, what a minimally acceptable picture of Her Most Glorious Shimmering Radiant Perfection.

   It amazes the Executive Committee how rapidly you regress if not continually reminded. However, if Magnificent She still thinks there is some hope for you, who are we to disagree? Hence we offer some constructive criticism:

   1. While the Beauteous Ghlaghghee is sort of centered in the frame, She is too small. She should fill the entire frame.

   2. Next time actually open the door to take the picture.

   3. Nobody of any import cares about the driveway or street. Next time leave them out.

   4. There appears to be some sort of thing at the bottom of the image – possibly Anteater-Thing. This is never acceptable. You remember what happened last time, don’t you? The lunatics of the so-called Anteater-Thing Appreciation Society went berserk and escaped from the asylum. Please think of the lunatics, and show some mercy.

   Apparently deep thoughts? Not having deep thoughts? Of course that applies to Anteater-Thing but to Her Infinite Superbness?

   Does your slander know no bounds?

   The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club

9. They are both guarding their human. AWWWWWWW!

10. Ghlaghghee: “I could go for a mouse about now.”
    Kodi: “I could go for a cat about now.”
    Human: “I could go for a hot dog about now.”

    It’s the circle of life!

11. Okay, how do you know they’re not having deep thoughts? Some kind of previously undisclosed cat telepathy?

12. Just curious…
    Who mows that fine sward?
    Is it your aerobics? Or is largess spread to the neighbor hood.
    It is a gorgeous site — worthy of that Brits remark to the American who asked ” how do you get a lawn like that?” “Mow it for 2400 years”, he replied. Looks like you have only a 150 to go. –;-)
    –ml

13. Brit quoted incorrectly. 400 vice 2400 years.
    Gomenasai, dozo. :(
    –ml

14. @tiger11: With that logic, to complete the circle man=mouse. Perhaps that is the deep ponder the two fuzzies are pondering.

15. @10, Hot Dogs aren’t necessary. Any type of meat stick will do.

    And Mr. 12, the neatness of that “fine sward” would be an indication of further indentured servitude by an overworked Father in Law. Homey don’t mow that lawn.

16. At a guess, Ghlaghghee’s thoughts are something like this, “Why the hell is that yahoo staring at me? Is he going to tape bacon to me again?”

17. Yay! I hope you had a productive day.

18. As always, pictures are improved when you add Kodi to them.

    It’s a nice picture of Ghlaghghee, too. Your beautiful grass is an offense against humanity right now in drought-stricken Southern California. We are only allowed to water two days a week, so my 50 year old front lawn is gradually fading. I am hoping for an El Nino year for the extra rain.

    Thanks for the picture,

    Member,
    Kodi Appreciation Society

19. Now I know that it’s bound to be a good day, for I have started it by seeing a kitty-picture on the Whatever.

20. Ah, the family guardians at work. While they may be in stand-down mode at the moment, I can assure you they’ll jump instantly into action should a squirrel dare to put a toe into the front yard.

21. While I am not familiar with the cat and dog in question, in general dogs are thinking about what they are going to eat next, and cats are thinking about where they’re going to barf next.

22. John, since my science education is sadly lacking, I recently picked up a copy of your ROUGH GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE, which I finished reading yesterday. Good read, well written, and I Learned Stuff!

    But I do not recommend this book for people suffering from anxiety or depression. Too easy to obsess how vast and dangerous the cosmos is, how many floating or exploding things could wipe us out, and the pointlessness of doing anything if the sun’s going to engulf us in six billion years, anyhow.

    Laura

23. P.S. Now I want a telescope!

    Laura

24. Laura:

    Try one of these.

25. Hey, I can actually AFFORD that! Excellent!

    Laura

26. Now we all know why Scalzi’s Old Man’s War sequel hasn’t come out yet:

    He’s mowing the damn yard!

    Dude, that’s insane. That’s a “pack a tent and a weeks worth of supplies to mow it” kind of yard. That’s a “We need a GPS to find the end of the driveway” kind of yard. That’s an “equivalent carbon credit to cancel out one 747” kind of yard.

    You could plant switchgrass, install a refinery, and provide biofuel for half of Ohio with that thing.

27. Have you not seen pictures of the lawn before, GregLondon?

    This picture will probably give you a better sense of it. At least for the front yard. The back yard is similarly-sized.

28. Laura R @22, the book you want to read next is called Death From The Skies! by Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer.

    http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/

    It’s the next level of discussion on how the universe can kill us. And it’s good.

29. Crimeny, that looks like a 20 acre spread.

30. What They Are Thinking

    Cat: Om!

    Dog: How high would she jump if I barked at her?

31. Good gods, John. I have a reaction similar to Greg’s. My “yard” is a postage stamp with red gravel and a holly tree that I share with four other apartments.

    You could plant that in soybeans. Or keep sheep. Or put up windmills. Or…

    …or keep it as a nice lawn, of course.

    I’m as green as the grass on your lawn right now.

32. Laura, the Galileoscope is great and inexpensive enough (NOT cheap, it’s very well designed) to donate one to some random kid around the world too. You might also want to check out the Celestron FirstScope (can’t find a short url). It got a good review by a very knowledgeable person in a recent Sky & Telescope. And I’d read Asimov’s A Choice of Catastrophes before anything by the BA (why not start with the best?). Sure, it’s dated somewhat but it’s ASIMOV!