Sun. Jun 15th, 2025

 

 

 

mwine122: that’s my fantasy dog breed.

mwine122: http://www.maursett.co.uk/pups.jpg
bullmurph: oh my god those faces
bullmurph: they are like butter in the shape of dogs
mwine122: YES!  that’s exactly it
mwine122: they’re clumber spaniels.
bullmurph: what are they awake, like 3 minutes of each day?
mwine122: I’ve wanted one forever– but they’re pricey… and, you know,… spending a lot of money on a fancy dog…
mwine122: actually, they’re still spaniels, so they’re pretty active.
bullmurph: i love em
mwine122: I met one on the sidewalk in G’town once a few months ago– he was about 7 months old…
mwine122: all mushy and floppy and clumsy … hey kinda barrelled himself into my lap..
mwine122: which I was squatting, so he knocked me over.
mwine122: yeah, butter in dog form– that’s about the most accurate description ever.
bullmurph: love at first bump
mwine122: hey, you know that scene in Moby Dick (oh, I know you do— you love this don’t you?) where they’re squishing lumps of whale fat?
mwine122: those dogs are like that.
bullmurph: ambergris!
mwine122: right— I was gonna say that, but I wasn’t sure I was remembering correctly.
bullmurph: actually, i think blubber is more accurate, but how often can you throw out the word ambergris?
mwine122: well, if you’re into perfume, pretty often.
bullmurph: i guess my straight-street cred is intact, then
mwine122: your average whale makes very little of it, so it’s rare… and very precious.  So, now they have a lot of artificial ambergris-like scents that they add to all kinds of perfume.
bullmurph: “I catch the scent of ambergris”
bullmurph: a line from a very obscure Rush song
bullmurph: i have no idea what it smells like….musky, i’d imagine?
mwine122: sweet, kind of dessert-like, really.
mwine122: in case the cuteness gets too much: http://fuckyoupenguin.blogspot.com/
mwine122: oh, my god. there’s a wombat.
mwine122: have I explained my adoration of wombats?
bullmurph: there is no way that panda picture is real. is there?
mwine122: I don’t know– didja get to the wombat?  I want to marry the wombat.  How is it that insulting cute animals makes them cuter?
bullmurph: i love it. this person is a genius
bullmurph: oh my god hedgehog baby
mwine122: haven’t gotten there yet
mwine122: wait– can’t find it…
bullmurph: keep going
mwine122: oh, god…I’m dying
bullmurph: i am so at one with these animals i just became dr. doolittle
bullmurph: (not the eddie murphy version)
mwine122: see, I think the clumber spaniel puppies totally merit a post on this blog.
bullmurph: i wholeheartedly concur

 

 

 

Question: What do clumber spaniels, pandas and Rush’s third album, Caress of Steel have in common?

Answer: Exactly.

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By Sean Murphy

Subscribe to my Substack Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. Subscribe at seanmurphy.live Connect with me Website: seanmurphy.net Twitter: @bullmurph Instagram: @bullmurph Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-murphy-4986b41