The NON-political chit chat thread

[weltschmerz]

Last night, I went down to the Old Port. The Festival International Des Arts Du Cirque (International Circus Arts Festival) is overlapping with the Jazz Fest. There were trapeze artists, sword-swallowers, fire-eaters, jugglers and clowns everywhere. Pretty cool!
I love this city.

[weltschmerz]

You're in Montreal, right welts?
------------------
Correct. You should come up again...I'll be glad to play host.

[mmhmm]

The festivals sound great, welts! I can remember seeing things like that in Denmark, and in Russia. It was so cool to see jugglers, acrobats, clowns ... things not seen so often in our country anymore. One does see clowns from time to time, but jugglers and acrobats are rare.

[weltschmerz]

This is very much a circus city, mmhmm. The Cirque de Soleil was birthed here at the Old Port many decades ago, and it snowballed from there.
Uh oh! "Give them bread and circuses!" Baguettes count, right?



Montreal Circus Arts Festival: Montréal Complètement Cirque
In many ways, Montreal has been etching itself a spot as a world capital for circus arts for years now, with the Cirque du Soleil headquarters located in the city alongside the National Circus School. Other renowned circus troupes such as Les 7 Doigts de la main and Cirque Éloize are Quebec natives so it should come as no surprise that one of Montreal's newer festivals -- Montréal Complètement Cirque -- homes in on the mind-bending contortions, flips, juggling, balancing, clowning, flying and other physical feats circus artists surprise us with year in, year out. Montréal Complètement Cirque is a concerted creative effort of La TOHU, the National Circus School, Cirque Éloize, Les 7 Doigts de la main, En Piste -- a national circus arts network -- and of course, juggernaut Cirque du Soleil.
The circus festival's third edition runs July 5 to July 15, 2012 and will feature circus professionals from across the globe converging to talk shop as well as perform for the public.

montreal.about.com/od/montrealevents/a/montreal_circus_arts_festival_international_des_arts_du_cirque.htm

[mmhmm]

That is sooo great! I do enjoy those performances. They've got a certain innocence about them, and remind one of childhood, with circuses, cotton candy, flying trapeze artists and so much laughter. Good times!

[weltschmerz]

Jul 6, 2012 18:06:37 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

That is sooo great! I do enjoy those performances. They've got a certain innocence about them, and remind one of childhood, with circuses, cotton candy, flying trapeze artists and so much laughter. Good times!

I don't know how they managed to squeeze in another festival, mmhmm.
Say what you will about the French, but they love to have a good time. They can party like nobody's business. The Caribbean Festival is also happening this weekend and I usually participate in that, wearing feathers and glitter. I'm all partied out.
I'm going fishing.

[mmhmm]

Ha! I hear ya, welts. There comes a time when you just have to stop and breathe the fresh air. A little fishin', and a little loafin' can be really good for ya! ;D

[weltschmerz]

Damn. I finally have a weekend off, and it's cloudy, overcast and gloomy. All week long, we had perfect "cottage country and jump in the lake" weather, and I wake up to this.

[mmhmm]

Oh, drat! I know you were looking forward to some good relaxing time, welts. Well, you can always hold Sushi and listen to him purr. ;D

[weltschmerz]

Well, I'll probably head out tomorrow morning.
Oh, I didn't tell you...
I came home the other day to find Sushi had eaten a quarter pound of butter. I had it in a complicated, sliding-thingy, antique butter dish, but he figured it out. He was one sick cat.

[Jaguar]

Welts your stories about Sushi have me in stitches all the time. Sorry though that he got sick. You have one really smart monster on your hands there.

[weltschmerz]

Sug, he's a character, all right. Keeps me in stitches all the time. He's lucky he's just so unbelievably good-natured, to counteract his pain-in-the-assedness.

[Jaguar]

Welts that's hilarious.

[weltschmerz]

He likes to sit in the bathroom window and scream at the world. I have brand-new neighbours. The other night, there was a knock on the door, and there's the man of the house, asking me if everything is OK, because it sounds like a baby being butchered with a set of bagpipes. He wanted to give me a chance to explain before he called Child Protective Services.

[Jaguar]

Jul 7, 2012 14:26:37 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

He likes to sit in the bathroom window and scream at the world. I have brand-new neighbours. The other night, there was a knock on the door, and there's the man of the house, asking me if everything is OK, because it sounds like a baby being butchered with a set of bagpipes. He wanted to give me a chance to explain before he called Child Protective Services.

Oh my gosh that's hilarious. << I can't stop laughing >>

BTW I love finky cats. The worse they are, the more I love it.

[Tennesseer]

Speaking of cats, this is cruel and disgusting.

Cat found buried alive in concrete in Arizona; rescuer alleges religious harassment

A live cat was found half-buried in concrete in Arizona, an act that the man who rescued it believes to be a threatening message from a pro-polygamy religious group, according to local reports.

The kitten was found encased in solid concrete inside a metal tube in Colorado City, Ariz., a major center for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a breakaway Mormon sect whose members practice polygamy.

In previous incidents, dead cats have been left on ex-FLDS member Isaac Wyler’s property, according to Andrew Chatwin, who discovered the trapped feline while he was building a horse shelter at Wyler’s home.

“It’s been going on for years,” Chatwin, also a former FLDS member, told the video site Right This Minute, “and I’ve recorded up to a dozen dead cats put into his horse corral. I’ve recorded dead animals put into his truck.”

In a video, shot by Chatwin on May 31 and posted to YouTube on July 1, the cat is seen buried up to its head in concrete, crying out in pain. Chatwin said he had to cut through the metal tube and is then seen chipping away bits of concrete around the animal’s body with a hammer.

Mangled and emaciated but still breathing, the freed feline was taken to an animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, where it died a few days later.

Both Wyler and Chatwin have spoken publicly against the church and its former controversial leader, Warren Jeffs.

More: usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/10/12662100-cat-found-buried-alive-in-concrete-in-arizona-rescuer-alleges-religious-harassment?lite

[mmhmm]

That just broke my heart. I couldn't possibly watch the video. I hope they find the creep(s) who pulled this and put them under the damned jail!

[weltschmerz]

Oh, thanks a lot, Tenn! I was deliberately avoiding that thread on EE. I didn't want to know.

[mmhmm]

Dearheart, the demonic meezer brought down my favorite vase last night. I think she's trying to raise the bar on Sushi. ;D

[weltschmerz]

Lol! And yet, we put up with it!
In Sushi's haste to catch a fly, he knocked my cordless phone into parts unknown. I couldn't find it anywhere, and I couldn't call myself because I couldn't find my phone. I had to go out and buy a prepaid cellphone card so I can call my land line and listen for the ringing. ::sigh::
However, to quote my son..."Mom, I know he's a pain in the ass, but he's just so sweet and funny!"
What are ya gonna do?

[mmhmm]

Nothing to do but smile and move on, welts. I really loved that vase!

The monster meezer lost my mother's cordless phone the same way. I found it under one of the couches in her sitting room. She'd managed to get it from the bedroom to the sitting room and under the bloody couch! Still we feed her, and we love her. We probably need treatment.

[weltschmerz]

When I wake up in the morning and see Sushi's pointy little head on the pillow next to mine, all is forgiven. He opens one sleepy eye and gets ready to tackle another day's worth of adventures. CRASH!
Poor little guy was locked up in a spare bedroom for three years. I can't stay mad at him.

(Besides, he DID save my life....)

[mmhmm]

I hear you, welts. Chooch hasn't had any traumatic experiences in her life that she didn't bring on herself. Still, she's a sweet little thing when she's sleeping. No way you're going to stay mad at her.

[weltschmerz]

Mmhmm, I just read this in the paper...it's pretty funny. It touches on our culture of festivals. Enjoy.
www.montrealgazette.com/news/Josh+Freed+Jesteera+covers+summer+crisis/6932589/story.html

[mmhmm]

ROFL! That was hilarious, welts! It does sound like such great fun! Thanks for sharing.

[weltschmerz]

Lol! Sushi is outside, on his harness. (I'm keeping a close eye on him)
I put some peanuts for the squirts on top of the BBQ, where he can't reach them. He's foaming at the mouth with rage, full of sound and fury.....

[mmhmm]

... signifying Tonkinese! ;D

[weltschmerz]

You got that right, Mmhmm.
The squirrels aren't stupid. They know EXACTLY how far that leash will reach, and are taking pleasure in tormenting him.

[mmhmm]

Squirrels get some sort of visceral thrill out of tormenting cats. It's in their bushy-tailed little natures. Considering the cat would be on them like white on rice if the chance presented itself, I can't say I blame 'em!

[mmhmm]

Had to put my old guy, Hoover, down today, Welts. His old pump just gave out. He was dumping fluid into his gut due to 2nd degree heart block that he's had for years. It finally got to be too much for him. He went peacefully. That's all one can ask when an old friend has to move on.