A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. I'm finally being Allowed to Blog again. My Female Human has been using the Computer a lot but when I try to Remind her that it's my Turn to use it by Sitting in front of the Screen, she just pushes on me until I lie Down and then continues to Ignore My Needs.

This is a Picture my Male Human took of me and That Dog. Believe it or not, it was My Choice to jump up next to her. At the Time, she was sound asleep. I came over, Sniffed her Toe, determined she was Unconscious, and then jumped up next to her on the Couch. Unfortunately she started to Wake Up and as you can see, I had to keep my Eye on her to make sure she didn't Do Something I didn't Like.

Speaking of Dogs, I heard about a Very Old Dog the other day. Apparently the World's Oldest Dog (at this Time) is 21. It's a Dachshund. Here is a Picture of It with Its Owner.

However, the Oldest Dog Ever lived to be 29. Good Lord. I didn't think That Dog was going to be around THAT long to plague Me. I might as well Resign Myself though, in case she manages this degree of Longevity. Maybe I will Try to sit next to Her more Often and get Used to it.

On to Other Topics, since I find the idea of Dogs rather Repugnant. My Humans and two Friends of theirs are going to see the new Star Trek Movie tonight. It is Very Exciting for Them because they are Die-Hard Trekkies. Yes, I know, "Trekkers" is the more Acceptable Form of Descriptor for these Humans but Mine prefer Trekkies. They aren't actually Trekking anywhere, so how can they be Trekk-ers? Somewhere my Female Human has a Star Trek Communicator Badge. She will wear it if she can find it. But on the Other Hand, they didn't have those during the Original Series, so perhaps that would be Inappropriate.

All of the Reviews have been Fantastic (see the link Above for an example of one in the local New Jersey paper), so they are going with Confidence that it will be Particularly Awesome. The Main Thing is to have the Characters, and the Optimistic Vision right, and it sounds as if they Got It. As a Cat, I was always fascinated with those Tribble things. They looked like Good Eating to Me. I know you are probably Surprised I remember Tribbles since I was born in 2002, well after the Original Series ended. But of course my Humans have the Complete Original Series on VHS tape (yes, time to replace with DVDs). So I have seen All of the Episodes.

My Female Human will no doubt Blog about the Movie after she sees it.

In other Animal-Related News, Australia is shooting 6000 Kangaroos to keep their Population Under Control. Surely there must be a Better Way. My Humans have actually Patted Kangaroos on the Head in a Wildlife Park near Adelaide. They are very Mellow Creatures. I understand they also Taste Good. At least they should Use the Meat to help the Homeless or something. I guess it's kind of like Deer here in New Jersey: Just too Many of Them.

So what about More Serious Subjects, you may ask Me. I know, I know, we have been a bit Lax about keeping Up with Things. There have been a lot of Things going on in Real Life, so it's not always Easy to put on our Thinking Caps here and come up with Serious Posts. But, as a Cat, I know I have a Lot to Live Up To, so I will give it a Shot.

First Subject is the So-Called Swine Flu, which should really be called the Swine-Bird-Human Flu. Some people are calling it H1N1, which is a Lot Fairer to the Pig Farmers; some Humans were afraid to eat Pork, which of course is Silly because of Course it isn't Spread by Eating it.

Latest Reports show that it is Continuing to Spread, with over 2000 cases in the U.S. Alone. Luckily it seems to be acting pretty much like Plain Old Garden-Variety Flu. Only People who are Weak or Sickly are Dying of it - which they do of Plain Old Flu as well. However, there is still Concern that this Strain could come back again in the Fall and be More Scary. So of course they are Working on a Vaccine for it. In Britain they have made a Breakthrough that may lead to a Vaccine that would work on all of the Strains of the Virus.

Overall it has been a Case of Much Ado about something that wasn't All That Bad. Researchers have found that this Flu doesn't have the same Traits as the 1918 Flu or the Dreaded Bird Flu, at least Not Yet.

Personally, I am just Glad that Cats don't get it. Because of course that is what is Most Important to Me.

Moving On. Remember when the Plane used as Air Force One flew low over the Statue of Liberty for a Photo Op a Week or two Ago, and scared the Catnip out of Everyone in Manhattan and its Environs? Well, the Human, Louis Caldera, who Approved the Stunt, has Resigned. He Apparently didn't Realize how it would make People Feel to see the Plane flying so Low. The other little Tidbit you can find in the Linked Article: The whole Photo Shoot cost the Taxpayers over $300,000. What WAS this Moron thinking?

Of course, a News Roundup would not be Complete without Mentioning Last Week's Bombshell that Supreme Court Justice David Souter is Retiring, giving the President Obama a chance to Replace him. The Souter Human was appointed by, of all People, George W. Bush's father, George H.W. Bush. Ironically, Souter turned out to be more Liberal than Conservative. While the Timing of his Retirement makes it look Suspiciously as if he didn't want to give George W. a Chance to replace him with some Right-Wing Nutjob, he probably won't admit it. In reality, it may just be he wants to go Hang Out in his Cabin in New Hampshire and Enjoy Himself, and this seemed the Right Time. OK, Maybe.

In the Meantime, President Obama used the word Empathy as something he'd be looking for in a new Justice and got the Right-Wingers in an Uproar. Heaven Forbid a Supreme Court Justice might actually have Feelings and Care about People whose lives they are Affecting. As Susan Nielsen of the Oreganian says,

"To liberals, empathy is secret code for 'not a right-wing jerk.'

To conservatives, empathy is secret code for 'soft-headed liberal social worker.'"

As she rightly Points Out, there are Worse Things than Empathy in a Supreme Court Justice.

Of course, there are all Kinds of Speculations going on as to Who He Will Pick. Will it be a Woman? A Latino/Latina? A Gay person? Whoever it is, let's Hope the President finds a Good One who will Uphold the Principles on which this Country was Founded. The Color of their Skin or their Gender or Orientation isn't as Important as What They Believe and How They Will Rule on Important Civil Rights Issues. Clarence Thomas proves that.

The Other little Bombshell that Blew Up recently was Arlen Specter moving over to the Democratic Side of the Aisle. Personally, I don't give it a lot of Credence. I think he just wanted to get Re-Elected. Sure he was a Moderate Republican compared to the Other Bozos, but he was a Democrat before That, and now he's a Democrat Again. This is a Clear Example of a Label that Means Nothing. He will still vote the way Arlen Specter always votes. However, to keep him Happy, the Democrats are giving him the Chairmanship of a Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, in hopes he will Vote Their Way on Important Issues if he is Satisfied.

We shall See. If some Marauding Tomcat comes into your Yard and you Give him your Mouse so he won't Attack You, the next thing you know, he wants Another Mouse. It may be a Futile Process.

So, that's it for This Week. This is Baxter, signing off from Bloomfield, New Jersey, where the Cats are all Sleek, the Mice are all Fat, and the Catnip runs Wild. (If Only. I think I'll go Do some Catnip to make my Fantasy seem more Realistic).