I wonder if cats ever vomit out of spite the way they sometimes poop/pee on things when they are angry/scared. (I am glad your kitty is okay!)

I hadn't heard about that meta-analysis, just the general stats on mental illness and people who commit violent acts. Doesn't stop the media from freaking out about speculations someone had a mental illness. :/ My fear is that the media's treatment of mental illness prevents people from seeking treatment, especially…

My Snowshoe (part Siamese part American shorthair) talks a lot. And I've seen a lot of videos of full Siamese cats yowling. The talkative thing is supposed to be a breed feature.

The personality bit is so true. If I sleep through my alarm, my Snowshoe will jump on my bed, meow in my ear, and sometimes poke my face with her claws out.

That's what I thought! Snowshoes are technically their own breed, even though they are descended from Siameses.

I have a Snowshoe Siamese (shelter rescue). She's a total sweetie and is great with our other cat (a white shorthair mix). They are supposed to be a pretty healthy breed and have the best features of regular Siamese and American Shorthair cats (intelligent, loyal, and a little chatty, but don't yowl).

Please replace it! If you were found unconscious the EMTs would look for one (I don't think they'd necessarily go through your things). You can get custom-designed ones now that don't scream "medical jewelry" but still have the shield/snake logo. (I almost got one after having a mysterious allergic reaction* that…

My mom and I are afraid of this (dad is T1) too. Part of what worries me is that he's 6' and not frail so he could appear "threatening" to a cop who doesn't know that grey skin + barely talking = hypoglycemia and not drugs/alcohol. I think the best thing you can do is make sure some of your friends/trusted coworkers…

I think Yule's main fear here is other people's ignorance of diabetes (especially the police). One of the most troubling things about low blood sugar is that the person might not be aware of it (because it affects your brain). My dad has T1 and can walk and (sort of) talk when his BS is 35 (most people are unconscious…

I think it has a lot to do with media portrayal. What irks me is how TV doctors are shown hanging around patients WAY longer than any nurse, chatting with them and providing life advice (or, if they're residents, receiving life advice). Nobody has time for that!

Nope! Banning all opposite-gender friends is a dealbreaker.

I understand that Jez/GT commenters (including myself) are used to looking for subtle hostility/racism/sexism/etc in the media, but I think this was a case of people wanting to hate on Doug Barry.

I don't see any meanness here. I have re-read the Boyle paragraph a few times trying to see the "bitchy" undertone others have perceived. It just seemed to have a light/not super-serious tone, which is consistent with a gossip article. If I were Boyle's age and got a diagnosis that gave a name to something I'd…

Because it belongs in nature shows, not discussions of human beings. And those shows usually say "the female(s)" which sounds better.

Your McDonald's analogy really helps underline how ridiculous this episode was. Similarly, the Food Network wouldn't do a review of a BBQ joint with 3 vegan hosts and 2 carnivores. But such a BBQ review at worst would make people laugh at the Food Network. This type of shit has the actual potential to harm people by…

Even those cats don't jump on children who have fallen down and claw their eyes out.

My mom and I have had this discussion since she works near a Catholic hospital. Since I am on the Pill (for BC and non-BC reasons) I am afraid that even if I went to this hospital for bird flu I would be screwed. When I've been hospitalized at non-Catholic hospitals I had difficulty getting the staff to register my BC…

That would be awesome! I think it would also be good to see more kids with physical differences in kids' TV shows. One of the things I loved about Mister Rogers was that he showed all kinds of kids (and grownups) on his show.

Even if you don't love cookies, it's rude to have that kind of super-disgusted reaction to a gift. Acting like Satan at his sweet sixteen party is not called for. Ever.

What, exactly, was unacceptable about a cookie tray? Was she anti-cookie or something?