Revamped articles page

The articles page was getting pretty unwieldy.  I've added dates and tried to categorize the articles.  Did you know that categories are basically never mutually exclusive?  It was harder than it sounds.  For now the new categories are 'Light and Funny', 'Life Culture and the Arts', 'Politics and History', 'Economy Education and Development', 'Health and Environment'.

I am also deeply sad to report that Playboy has taken down all their archived interviews, like the one with Jawaharlal Nehru while he was still Prime Minister of India.  There were a ton of interesting things there not related to India too.  I've e-mailed them to complain.  If you're like me and read Playboy for the 40 year old interviews, you should whine too.

Kitten video

Mom requested more pictures of  the kitten.  I'll do one better and post a little video.  I have never seen Cat do this before.  She must be conducting some kind of hunting lesson.  Kitten pretty quickly retreats back to a Safety Zone and begins crying though.  I don't think cats are meant to be only children.

(Video after the jump.  It was slowing down the site.)

Dalton on CWC

In a fit of missing my pets, I sent a picture off to Cute With Chris.  They didn't use any of the story I sent, except the subject 'Fancy and Vicious.'  It won't make up for abandoning him, but Mom, you must show this to Dalton anyway.  Does he understand what computers are yet?  Are you slacking in the training department?  Thank you for taking care of him.

Kitten update

I cannot tell you how excited I am right now!  The kitten is using the litter box!  Properly!  This isn't so much about the kitten going in a proper place.  I was way past that.  I didn't care where the kitten went to the bathroom, I just didn't want it to eat the litter anymore.  Obviously my first efforts at potty training went badly.  Changes in litter type were involved.

Amateur Hour

Boaz (from the living room):  Are you gagging?
Me (in the kitchen):  Yes.
Boaz:  That is so awesome.

Let's just say the sour dough starter didn't go well.

More pictures from Israel

Some of these are still from Tel  Aviv, most are from Jerusalem, Haifa, and Akko.  I would fail a quiz though.  Boaz insisted on going through all 710 photos in one sitting. 

Kitten update

They have relocated again into a very secure box of clothing in our bedroom.  Cat and Kitten seem healthy and pretty content.  I've noticed Kitten trying to play with Mom, attacking her ears, paws, and tail.  She tolerates this, but doesn't engage.  So I made him a little kitten toy.  Unfortunately he is pretty sure I am some kind of giant monster and that nowhere outside the box is safe.  So we don't get to play yet.

Get a load of that tail!  It's like a bottle brush.  Under normal circumstances it is sleek, like his mother's.  If he tried to make himself look any bigger, he would poof right out of existence.  I try to pet Cat in the box while he's watching, which sometimes just gets wide eyes and sometime gets adorable, gasping hisses.  Hopefully I am socializing him by taking him out for a little while most days and not permanently traumatizing him.

Speaking of bugs

Thank the stars we don't have camel spiders!  I like the idea of being serial expats, but let the record show that anywhere with camel spiders is summarily rejected.

Pictures from Tel Aviv

Here are some of Boaz's pictures from Tel Aviv.  I'll post those from Jerusalem, Akko, and Haifa in another entry.

 

If there is grafiti or boats, Boaz is taking a picture of it.  This is a piece by the Egg Plant Krew.  Eggplant being like a repurposed, empowered racial slur in this case.

South Africa

Just for fun, I grabbed a smattering of photos that Boaz took in South Africa.

(Click the link to see them all)

In case you hadn't noticed

I've made some additions to the blog.  At the top of the page, under the big title, there is now a 'Blogs I Dig' page.  Go check it out.  It includes AIC's newish blog and the recently relaunched Celebrities Eating, both highly recommended.

Facebook

Okay, okay, I finally signed up for that Facebook nonsense.  The blog will automatically post as Notes there.  So if you prefer Facebook for that sort of thing, you can add me as a friend and get all the updates that way.

Dear IT Recruiter,

Could you read my resume before e-mailing me repeatedly and filling my voicemail box about projects with products I don't even work with?  If I turned down a project this morning because I live on a different continent now, don't contact me about another one in the afternoon.  It's physically impossible for my situation to have changed.  Also anything anybody has ever said about used car salesmen.

Thanks a bunch!
Siera

Holy Cow

I have lamented the loss of Coffee People and their awesome milkshakes with all sorts of folks for years. Because the milkshakes were like rainbow fancy crack.

THERE IS A COFFEE PEOPLE IN THE PORTLAND AIRPORT!!!

It is their only location now. But it is past security, so you can't have any delicious milkshake. I'm so sorry.

Thinking about long flights

You guys, Abstract City Blog is one of my favorite things. Especially this one about transcontinental flights.

And they're back...

... to their respective places.

I only have so long to be that annoying pet parent who forces everybody to look at these kinds of photos.