Yeah, pretty much how I feel about those infernal machines...
May 15, 2013 6:29 AM   Subscribe

 
Uh oh. I see MartinWisse just posted a cat video directly above this one. Metafilter's going to the dogs.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:31 AM on May 15, 2013


His head twitch in tempo with the metronome reminds me of my reaction to the snare drum in my old metal band in the 80's.
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:35 AM on May 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


His head twitch in tempo with the metronome reminds me of my reaction to the snare drum in my old metal band in the 80's.

Headbangers Headtwitchers
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:38 AM on May 15, 2013


It's funny how the two cats are so different. The orange one is still twitchy even after watching it intently for 90 seconds, and the grey cat just saunters up without a reaction at all.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 6:47 AM on May 15, 2013


Oh, this is the metronome thread? Then you need this. Not only do cats twitch in time to metronomes, but metronomes twitch in time to cats metronomes
posted by HuronBob at 6:57 AM on May 15, 2013 [5 favorites]


but metronomes twitch in time to cats metronomes

Hey! Maybe that's why the band I played with on that Sumida River cruise boat the other day was so grooving!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:01 AM on May 15, 2013


Dubstep remix in three...two...
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:03 AM on May 15, 2013


I can empathise with this cat. I don't know what it is about metronomes, but when you are close to one, it seems like a powerful pulse of air hits you every time it clicks. It's quite disturbing, and hard to imagine how such a blast could be actually generated by the relatively small movement that the hand makes.
posted by leibniz at 7:07 AM on May 15, 2013


I thought this was going to be that Jersey Shore chick.
posted by jonmc at 7:35 AM on May 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


Uh oh. I see MartinWisse just posted a cat video directly above this one.

Quick, to MetaTalk and complain!
posted by MartinWisse at 7:36 AM on May 15, 2013


You first, Martin!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:45 AM on May 15, 2013


That twitch orange cat moved kind of like one of the "long-haired women" from J-horror films. I expect that cat will now come out of my monitor. I think I would be OK with that.

(Fortunately, I have a metronome)
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:47 AM on May 15, 2013


leibniz: "I can empathise with this cat. I don't know what it is about metronomes, but when you are close to one, it seems like a powerful pulse of air hits you every time it clicks. It's quite disturbing, and hard to imagine how such a blast could be actually generated by the relatively small movement that the hand makes."

So... um... are you a cat? 'Cause that would be okay. Just curious.
posted by Splunge at 8:05 AM on May 15, 2013


Oh, is this the metronome thread? Then you need this.
posted by kenko at 8:24 AM on May 15, 2013


Cats, and dogs, and, well most animals, don't seem to be able to contemplate measure like humans .
posted by coolxcool=rad at 8:58 AM on May 15, 2013


a powerful pulse of air hits you every time it clicks.

That explains Snooky's (who I presume is the orange cat) reaction, then. Cats really don't like having air blown in their faces, because it's usually part of a hissing-and-spitting threat display from another cat.

To Snooky, the metronome is a tiny rhythmic "HEY! FUCK YOU, BUDDY" machine, and it's no wonder he swatted it to death.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 9:43 AM on May 15, 2013


Came for the garish Jersey girl in some improbable musical predicament, stayed for the cat torturing itself.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:44 AM on May 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Oh, man, does anybody remember the NYNEX "Riveting Machines" ad from the early 90s? This is like the feline version. I tried to find it online, but no luck....

(The ad consisted of a bunch of people staring at something that was making a repetitive k-chunk, k-chunk noise. We never see the thing they're looking at, just them, and they're /totally/ mesmerized -- eyes wide, heads twitching to the beat. Then the camera cuts away to a listing in the Yellow Pages: Riveting Machines. HAH!)
posted by Westringia F. at 10:20 AM on May 15, 2013


odinsdream, I think you're oversimplifying a little. It's not "just sound". It's mechanically produced wave-energy transmitting (vibrating) across a material medium --air-- to your ears. Now given the relatively small amount of energy I would be surprised if human ears could be affected so viscerally as leibniz suggests, but a cat? Yeah I could see why a cat might have a stronger reaction to it.

Then again maybe in both creatures it's merely a neruological reaction to that particular pitch and texture of sound. Interesting.
posted by Doleful Creature at 10:25 AM on May 15, 2013


and the grey cat just saunters up without a reaction at all.

As it happened just when the orange cat was getting ready to swat the metronome, I totally got the vibe that the grey cat was like "Oh, we're killing this thing? I'm down! Let's wreck some shit up!"

At the end, I was kind of hoping one of them would pick it up and give it the head shake that is indicative of a hunting cat snapping the neck of whatever toy they've gotten their paws on.

Because fuck that metronome.
posted by quin at 11:23 AM on May 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


The twitching reminded me of a Talking Heads video..

AND YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF
ON A BEIGE LINOLEUM FLOOR
AND YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF
VEXED BY A RYTHMIC CLACKING SOUND
AND YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF
WANTING TO SAVAGELY MURDER A METRONOME
AND YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF
WHO THE FUCK DOES THIS TO A CAT?

AS THE DAYS GO BYYYYYYYYYYY
posted by DWRoelands at 1:20 PM on May 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


Don't leave your fragile musical equipment where the cats can get at it, people.
posted by Coaticass at 1:50 PM on May 15, 2013


Don't leave your fragile musical equipment where the cats can get at it, people.

No lie. Many years back, I set my bass down on its stand, while still plugged into my amp, long enough to leave the room to get something. Heading back down the hall, I heard this horrible amplified CLLAAANNNGGG!!! and this orange blur suddenly appeared between my legs, hauling ass the other way. Fortunately, the bass was a Fender, so no real damage done, but it scared the holy piss out of that cat, whatever is was he did in there.
posted by Devils Rancher at 2:20 PM on May 15, 2013


He just doesn't get used to it at all, does he? The metronome clicks in a totally predictable pattern, but it still scares him every time. It's like my boyfriend, who may be the jumpiest person on the planet. He can walk into the living room, see me sitting there reading a book, and be startled. Even if he came in there specifically looking for me.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 7:28 PM on May 15, 2013


This is what happens to me if you clap too loud near my head
posted by rmless at 8:51 PM on May 15, 2013


it scared the holy piss out of that cat, whatever is was he did in there.

Might have been something like this.
posted by MartinWisse at 2:05 AM on May 16, 2013


So this is the Snooky I have heard so much about?

This Jersey Shore thing is such a letdown.
posted by Mezentian at 4:34 AM on May 16, 2013


I am also totally down with the fact that Related Posts recommends Rick.
Because
Rick.
Rick.
Rick.
Where's Carl, Rick?

Goes through my head every episode of walking dead.
posted by Mezentian at 4:36 AM on May 16, 2013


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