A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. I'd like to say how pleased I am to be back for my second week of blogging. We Cats are not used to getting the limelight like this, especially in this household, where That Dog gets so much attention.

Why, just yesterday I was trying to surreptitiously insinuate myself into the lap of one of my Humans, and That Dog saw me and chased me out of the room. The nerve! I went off in a huff and decided that they did not deserve My Attention.

Well, enough of my problems. It seems you all have plenty of your own. This Democratic thing is really starting to heat up, isn't it? Man, and they call US "Catty." Look at the Hillary-Obama sniping going on. I haven't seen that much animosity since I was living in that household that had 17 other cats in it. (I kept a low profile there, but boy, there were some catfights between some of the others).

I was reading a good article on the Internet from Time Magazine (in between e-mailing DCap's cat, George - we've become quite good chums).

The article asks the question, "Could Race Destroy the Democrats?" Now, this would be a Bad Thing to have happen, in my opinion.

After all, we Cats know that Cats are Cats - doesn't matter if you're black and white, tiger, or calico. But Humans for some reason haven't figured this out yet, and are very oversensitive any time something is said that might be considered Racially Motivated, as the Humans like to say. And, of course, much of what is said is in some kind of Code that Humans tend to speak in. No Human actually comes out and says "Don't vote for X because he or she is this or that." They just make some hint that is taken the wrong way - or perhaps the way they really meant it - and then all Hades breaks lose.

It's kind of like when a tomcat (no relation to the real Tomcat of course) sees another tomcat in the yard and makes one of those yowly noises. The other tomcat could just ignore him, but instead he makes a yowly noise of his own. Next thing you know, both Cats are crouching in their corners making those horrendous howly noises that sound like a police siren. (Naturally, being Neutered, I am above such behavior). Eventually they may even come to a physical confrontation and injure each other!

That seems to be about what is happening between the Hillary and Obama Humans. Here is how Time Magazine describes this Situation:

"Clinton charged that Obama was raising "false hopes" with his soaring rhetoric that emphasized ends over means. Obama skewered Clinton right back in New Hampshire, asking where the nation would be if both JFK — in making a manned mission to the moon a goal — or Martin Luther King Jr. — in his 1963 Lincoln Memorial speech — had instead shut down their visions and told America they were simply too hard to achieve. Delivered with humor and always to soaring applause, Obama's was a devastating rejoinder.

But then Clinton came back and, far less artfully, said that King's visions were great, but it took an experienced politician like Lyndon Johnson to get them enacted. At the very least, Clinton had equated the sometimes crass master of the legislative backroom with one of America's patron saints. (The real problem is that Clinton seemed to put LBJ on a pedestal higher than King's.) That was probably not her intention, but neither was this her best example in the deeds — not — words crusade she was on. In any case, at that point, things began to unravel."

Now things have gotten even worse. There's this other Human called Robert Johnson who is a Hillary supporter who made a Snotty Remark about the Obama Human's youthful activities - obviously referring to his admitted use of the Catnip in his youth - and Hillary did not chastise him; he later claimed to be referring to Obama's community activism. Even I, as a Cat, can see through THAT one!

Things seem to be going from bad to worse. As Time says:

"the Democratic race is sidetracked on a direction that leads, like a scene from one of those Back to the Future movies, off a cliff. Yesterday on Meet The Press, Clinton said at one point she did not think either she or Obama wanted to "inject race or gender in this campaign." By the time she said those words, it was already too late."

I'd like to tell them all to shape up. Can we have them both carted off to the local Animal Shelter and put in a cage together until they stop fighting? It might be the only solution to avert disaster!

Well, enough of this serious stuff. I know that on Mondays you expect a little more variety from Yours Truly, since I am a Cat of Many Talents. In fact, you might call me a Renaissance Cat. Not only am I enthralled by this Human Politics stuff, but I also appreciate movies and music.

In fact, last night my Humans were watching an excellent film, La Vie En Rose, which just became available on their "On Demand" cable service. They had seen this movie in an actual Movie Theater when it first came out, as the whole Family (even The Dog) loves Edith Piaf music; also Billie Holiday. Those two ladies sure do have great voices. So when my Humans were watching the movie, I was trying my best to get into the room with them but as I mentioned earlier, That Dog chased me out. I had to sit outside the room and watch from the Doorway.

One of the things I learned about Edith Piaf is that despite her great success as a singer, she had an extremely unhappy personal life! It made my birth out in the street look like a picnic! At least I was taken in by a kind person (even if they did have 17 cats). I got 3 squares and a warm place to sleep.

Edith, on the other hand, got raised in total poverty by street performers who kept dumping her off on other people. The best home she had as a kid was with a bunch of what the Humans call "prostitutes." And that home she got taken away from. Everyone she really loved either left or died. No wonder she got into the Catnip.

The Female Human who plays Edith is fantastic. She really brings her to life. This movie is Highly Recommended by Yours Truly.

In other news, I saw on MSNBC.com that there was an incident where some Male Human was trying to shoot Puppies - yes, shoot them! - because he didn't want to go to the trouble to find homes for them.

Well, three of them didn't make it, but when he got to the fourth one, he got what was coming to him. Yep, the Puppy pulled the trigger and shot the guy in the hand! Good for him, I say. The remaining four Puppies were taken to Animal Control to be adopted out to Good Homes. The Human went to the hospital to be treated for his Gunshot wound and will likely be arrested for Animal Cruelty.

Now, you have to understand, that as a Cat, I don't ordinarily care for Dogs very much. But these were Puppies, and some Ladies of my acquaintance have been known to nurse Puppies just like their own Kittens. And anyway, we Animals are all on the same side when it comes down to it. Cruelty to any of us is Cruelty to all of us.

To end my second Post on a lighter note, I'd like to close with a picture from LOLCats, which pretty much sums up my feelings when we got The Dog that we have now, after two blissful months without any Dog in the house.

Speaking of pictures, how do you like my Cat's Eye View up at the top? I am very proud of it. My Male Human took that picture awhile back and I think it is Intimidating. I like being Intimidating. It really works for me.

Have a great week, Bloggers, and enjoy some Catnip - but be sure to enjoy it Responsibly!