Archive for the ‘Animals’ Category

In which Dante gets tough. Friends. Not every cat is a lolcat.


In which The Gay Recluse languishes. Yesterday we went for a run, even though it was 156 degrees out. When we were young, we laughed at the heat. Let’s just say we’re not as young as we used to be! Today we’re not going anywhere. Even though we’re kind of in the mood for a […]


In which The Gay Recluse updates his informal but rather telling quantitative analysis of Modern Love, the weekly Style Section (of The Times) column in which openly gay writers almost never appear, and even less frequently describe a romantic relationship. This week’s piece: Instant Message, Instant Girlfriend by Roger Hobbs Subject: A nerdy but sweet […]


In which The Gay Recluse rather quickly dies of lung cancer as he becomes increasingly obsessed with birds. The oily black smoke of 100-year-old boilers disperses daily across the rooftops in Washington Heights, heedless of those (including birds) who suffer from pneumonia, asthma and tuberculosis. Officials and politicians? Not even footnotes in this story, which […]


In which Dante and Zephyr take over The Gay Recluse. Friends! We would like to draw your attention to the following comment and conundrum we received today from Reader GhengisKuhn, who writes: Having tracked “not every cat is a lolcat” back to its root, I (a sporadic reader) would like to present you with a […]


In which Dante invents a new twist on an old game. Friends! Rest assured that somewhere in this picture can be found an editorial assistant, albeit one who is very carefully camouflaged. Have you looked long enough? Do your eyes feel strained and fatigued? Don’t worry, below you’ll find what you’ve been looking for. Friends! […]


In which The Gay Recluse watches birds. The bird flew by just as the fog was lifting. That could be a metaphor for many different things!


In which Dante and Zephyr take over The Gay Recluse. Friends! Laugh all you want, but the truth remains: Not every cat is a lolcat!


In which Dante and Zephyr take over The Gay Recluse. Friends! We have spoken on this subject before, but feel that it bears repeating. Discard your assumptions and stereotypes! Open your mind to new experience! And — most of all — remember: not every cat is a lolcat!


In which Dante and Zephyr take over The Gay Recluse. Friends, consider this! While it is incontestable that there are many cats around the world who are happily (or not!) photographed and displayed in a staggering array of sizes, colors and dispositions, it is important to be sensitive to diversity and henceforth be mindful of the following fact: not every cat is lolcat!


In which The Gay Recluse hears from two correspondents at once. Today we received the following report and very large photograph from London: The London Eye and The Jessica Watch team up for some fox hunting in London. Woah, Nellie! Is that a fox? (Apparently so, according to The London Eye and The Jessica Watch.) […]


In which Deirdre’s Terrain checks in with The Gay Recluse. Today we received this startling news report and follow-up analysis from our Manhattan correspondent Deirdre’s Terrain: ieeww I hate people who post picts & videos of their KIDS at the beach taking a bath etc etc… playing with their iPhone.. YUCK! why do parents post […]


In which The Gay Recluse posts love letters from crazies. Remember a couple hundred years ago when Arthur C. Clarke died and we made fun of him for being a closet case? And how not everyone thought it was funny and we laughed at them too? Well, some people are still upset and can’t resist […]


In which The Gay Recluse explores mythology. In response to our post on the nasty black smoke seen snaking around the rooftops of Washington Heights, reader David writes: FYI – asthma is caused more by a bad diet than by the air we breathe. Love your site, but the “asthma is caused by dirty air” […]


In which The Gay Recluse takes pictures and displays ignorance. First, a note from our new friend and GreenCine film critic James Van Maanen, who writes (with regard to the below shot): Is that first picture of a hawk, maybe? (I ask, because we are getting a number of here out here in Jackson Heights […]


In which The Gay Recluse does some investigative reporting and follows up with a complaint. As we’ve documented many times, thick black smoke — a function of improperly maintained or outdated boiler systems — is pretty much a constant of life in Washington Heights. (No coincidence, asthma rates are pretty much through the roof.) Although […]


In which The Gay Recluse photographs birds. Hmm…what kind of bird is this? (We need to do some homework.) Hi everyone! What kind of birds are you? You kind of look like seagulls. (Omg! Is that an insult!?) Sometimes you just want to be left alone.


In which The Gay Recluse goes to a new restaurant (twice) and is totally psyched. For all of you doubters in doubterville, take note: there’s a new restaurant on 166th Street between Broadway and Saint Nicholas, right around the corner from Dallas BBQ. And get this: it’s vegetastic! We’ve eaten there twice already this weekend […]


In which The Gay Recluse photographs birds. Mary-Kate and Ashley? Elliot and Silda? Tristan and Isolde? You decide. (Our Jonathan Livingston Seagull moment for the day.)


In which The Gay Recluse ponders a sampling of recent search terms used to find the very pages you are now reading. Note: All search terms listed are in the exact form provided by WordPress.com, which is the host (at least for a while) of this blog. Hyperlinks to relevant posts included. Search: two headed […]