A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. I've been Waiting All Week to get a chance to Blog. "I'm too busy," my Female Human kept saying. "I don't have time to help you!"

It's not My fault that my Toes don't work well on the Keyboard and she has to help me Type. If they just invented Telepathic Computers my Problem would be solved. Maybe in the 23rd Century they will have them. But it will be Too Late for Me by then.

Now I'm really Peeved, because, on top of having to wait to Blog, They took me to the Vet's today. The Nerve!

I had to go for my checkup along with That Dog that I am forced to live with. And, worse yet, I had to hang out in the Vet's Examining Room in that stupid Carrying Box for a half hour until the Vet and her Assistant got done Oohing and Aahing over how Cute and how Friendly That Dog is and how much they Love her.

Finally it was My Turn. I tried to resist when they told me to get out of That Box. They finally had to tip it on end until I fell out onto the Examining Table. It was very Humiliating. So I hunched down and pretended I wasn't There while they poked and prodded at me. The Girl who helps The Vet was patting Me and kissing Me, so I became somewhat Mollified and allowed The Vet to do whatever She needed to. I didn't even flinch when they stuck me with a Needle but I did get Annoyed when they made me snort some vile-tasting Stuff up my Nose. But I was kind and didn't bite or scratch anyone.

My Day got better once That was all over with. I relaxed the rest of the Day and enjoyed Myself. Now I'm finally ready to Blog.

So, let's see...this has been a Busy Week. The Obama and Clinton Humans had another of those Things they call "Debates" but of course it is really more like a Catfight with other Cats watching and egging on the Fighters. There was pretty universal Agreement that the moderators of the Debate wasted the Viewers' and the Candidates' time with trivial and irrelevant questions designed to stir up controversies that had already been Dragged Out more than long enough, such as the Obama Human's fire-breathing Preacher or the Clinton Human's Exaggeration about her trip to Bosnia. And would you believe, they even brought up the Flag Lapel Pin bit again??? Puh-leeze. Even we Cats know that you don't have to wear a Pin to be Patriotic! The Real Issues were basically ignored for most of the "Debate."

In the Meantime, the Clinton Human got three more Superdelegates and the Obama Human got three endorsements; but they aren't Superdelegates so it doesn't add to his Delegate Count.

As you know, both my Humans and I have been supporting the Obama Human for the Nomination. I don't know about Them, but I for one am having Concerns now, given that the Clinton Human just isn't going away, and her constant hammering on the Obama Human has managed to pull him down into the Political Dirt with Her and he doesn't look as much like a Change anymore. David Brooks, writing in the New York Times, paints a rather Depressing Picture of the current State of the Campaign. Yes, he's right, Everyone is Miserable. Of course, That Dog is probably Happy. She's been supporting the Clinton Human all along.

In other News, there was an Earthquake in, of all places, the Midwest. It was 5.2 on the Richter scale. You don't usually think of Earthquakes happening There, but actually this particular Fault, which isn't far from St. Louis, has produced some pretty Nasty ones in the past. Back in the early 1800's there were two Earthquakes there that were 7.0 or more on the Richter scale! Right up there near the strength of the Great Quake of 1906 in San Francisco! If they happened today it would be Big Trouble.

Moving on....

One of the Things no one realizes is that not only are there Soldiers in Iraq, but also Dogs. Being a Cat who doesn't generally Appreciate the Canine Species, I'm not usually one to praise Dogs, but the ones in the Military are an Exception. This story brought a tear even to My eye. According to the story on CNN, "Staff Sgt. Donald Tabb, 29, serving his fourth deployment with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, died February 5, 2007, when his vehicle was hit by the roadside bomb." His partner, Bo (a 2-year-old black Laborador Retriever), who was trained to clear roadways, find explosives and bomb-making materials, was injured, but survived and has been adopted by Tabb's family.

Bo and Sgt. Tabb went through extensive training together, and had graduated in March of 2007 from the Defense Department's Dog Training Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, according to the article.

"Tabb served with the Military Working Dog section, 6th Military Police Detachment, 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Traditionally, a military working dog outranks the handler by one grade. Bo was officially retired as master sergeant. Tabb, an Atlanta native, was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class at Friday's ceremony at the Gwinnett County Fallen Heroes Memorial."

Sending My Sympathies to the family of Sergeant First Class Tabb and my Congratulations to Bo for his heroism, and best wishes for a Long and Happy Life in his new home.

On a lighter note, I was Surfing About the Internets and decided to check out Scott Adams' Dilbert Blog, which actually has quite a few fairly Serious Posts and poses some Interesting Questions. One post pointed me to an interesting Link about the idea of free will. Apparently Humans don't really have it. (I'm not so sure about Cats. We may be Different). According to this Article, scientists have discovered that Humans' choices can be predicted seven seconds before they actually make them, by using Brain Scanners. Of course, it was done on a very Simple Level; more Complex Decisions may be another Story. And after all, perhaps the Brain Activity IS the beginning of making a Choice. So I am not at all Sure about the Conclusion that is drawn.

Using my own Free Will, which I am quite Certain that I have, I am going to end this Post. I have Blogged enough for This Evening and I am now ready to take a Nap. I may even partake in some Catnip before I Pass Out. And I hope you will enjoy some of your own as well.

(But of course at 4 a.m. I will be Awake, wide-eyed and Bushy-Tailed, and be playing with my favorite Toy, which makes a fascinating rattling sound and I just can't resist it. The other night I was playing with my Toy and somehow a Lamp and some other things ended up on the Floor. I have No Idea how it Happened but my Female Human was sure it was My Fault.)