Confloofbondus (floofinition) – A natural condition where a human and an animal, or several animals, establish strong emotional and physical connections. Origins: Internet, 2024
In Use: “The Floofnet — that part of the world wide web dedicated to animal information — is rich with evidence of confloofbondus, such as large dogs taking in and carry for orphaned kittens.”
In Use: “Videos and stories of confloofbondus helped many people endure stay-at-home protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.”
Infloofduction (floofinition) – The process of leading an animal or making it known to another person or animal via a formal act, announcement, or recommendation. Origin:
In Use: “The challenge of welcoming a new animal or family member to a household can often be mitigated by a patient and well-thought out infloofduction.”
In Use: “Sharon B. was prepared for cautious infloofductions between the new kittens and her old Tom, Catmandu, but Catmandu heard and smelled the little ones and began grooming them like he’d given birth to them himself.”
Floofartaphily(floofinition) – The collecting of knickknacks, artwork, trinkets, and materials related to or depicting animals. Origins: Circa 2000, Internet.
In Use: “Carolyn enjoyed floofartaphily, with little statutes of cats, dogs, geese, and cows abounding in shadow boxes or decorating shelves, but her passion were pigs, and there were two hundred items featuring pigs, including paintings, drawings, pillows with pigs on them, statues, and salt and paper shakers, in her living room.”
Floofgineer(floofinition) — A designer, builder, or person who arranges things for animals’ use or convenience. Origins: Middle Floofish, original noted use circa 1635.
In Use: “With two old dogs and three young cats as her housemates, Shelby was an extraordinary floofgineer, installing steps and ramps for the dogs, cat trees for the felines, and floofios for both to go outside but remain safe.”
Exfloofulate(floofinition) – To earnestly discuss matters with an animal to dissuade them from behavior or remonstrate. Origins: 1573, Europe.
In Use: “After Honey overturned the kitchen trash can, Marsha exfloofulated all the reasons why Honey shouldn’t do things like that as Honey sat there and listened, occasionally wagging her tail.”
In Use: “Bob was sound asleep when Lucy awoke him with a bellowing meow, causing Bob to pick Lucy up and exfloofulate, beginning, ‘What is wrong with you, you stupid cat? That was totally unnecessary.'”
August 29, 2024, crept into our world as clocks finished a round of counting.
It’s Thursday, so named for the day of the week when the poor were served free drinks at ale houses and taverns. Don’t look it up, because I made it up.
We’re expected a high of 97 F plus this afternoon. For now, though, the windows are closed because it’s a chilly 58 F in my environs. Air quality is marginally good. Blue sky reigns o’er most of the valley, but some hazy, formless clouds have popped up on the northern and western horizons.
Reviewing news, I see talk of Trump’s ‘campaign’. That agent of chaos is spreading more disinformation, still lying about the 2020 election results, spinning accusations out of air, and trying hard to disrupt intelligent discourse on anything except maybe the askance wondering, WTF is he doing?
Take the Arlington National Cemetery kerfluffle. This was an event planned for the families of thirteen service members killed earlier this year. They wanted it private. Trump, true to his tone-deaf self-centered character jumped at a chance to show that he really does support and respects the military and its members. That’s despite his claims that he’s smarter than generals. Or that military members, especially injured or dead ones, are losers. Or his sniveling that the Congressional Medal of Honor given to military members is less worthy than the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His audacious reasoning was that soldiers and their medal is ‘worth less’ “either in very bad shape, because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead”.
What brilliant logic.
Meanwhile, there is Trump’s photo op. Grinning like an idiot, giving a thumps up.
Such respect.
What was sadder was how his supporters jumped to protect his actions. One wrote in comments that ‘at least he was there to honor them.’ Yeah, idiot. Number one, that’s not why he was there, and that’s obvious to us all outside of the MAGA circle jerk. Two, the families resquested that this not be politicized. They wanted privacy to grieve. Trump turned it into a circus. The MAGA commenter showed that they’re as tone deaf and out of touch as their master. CORRECTION: Two families had invited the Trump show. But that doesn’t change that it’s against policy and practice to desecrate Arlington with politics and campaigning.
Moving on.
My theme for the week still centers on songs with time in the title. Up to the challenge, The Neurons leaped forward with “Time for Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon. It’s playing in the morning mental music stream (Trademark timed) like it’s playing on the radio in 1978.
Stay positive and be strong. Lean forward and vote blue in 2024. Coffee is wending through my systems with its magic fingers. Here’s the music. Cheers
Floofmove (floofinition) – 1. A stratagem many animals employ involving stealth, slyness, or quickness to get what they want. Origins: early nineteenth century, Europe and the United States.
In Use: “As Jason turned away from the plate, Hercules snatched his sandwich and darted away, a classic floofmove.”
2. Action used by a human in response to animal activities.
In Use: “Wanting to join George in his nap, the cat tapped George until George made a floofmove so the cat had space to join him.”
Floofmotif (floofinition) – 1. An associated melodic phrase or image, often only experienced in a mental state, that accompanies the reappearance of an animal. Origins: Circa 1880s, Floofmanic tribes.
In Use: “Howdy often raced into a room and slid to a halt, prompting a heroic floofmotif, such as the start of the old television show, The Lone Ranger, which he watched as a child, to jump into Diego’s mind.”
2. Decor dominated by animal imagery and items.
In Use: “A floofmotif of cat trees, dog and cat beds, various balls and chew toes, along with several bird cages, a terrarium and aquarium, and sculptures and paintings of animals, revealed the homeowners to be serious animal champions.”
Cofloofinate(floofinition) – 1. To arrange household activities with an attitude that the animals living in the household must be kept safe, healthy, and happy.
In Use: “Whenever Doris planned a get-together with friends coming to her house, she cofloofinated with her dogs to ensure they had a quiet place with food and water where they wouldn’t be disturbed.”
2. To arrange a room or building with animals’ needs in mind.
In Use: “Hoping to keep her kitties happy but safe, Karla cofloofinated the house with several cat trees and bed, along with a floofio accessible from inside the house.”
Michael Seidel, writer 