A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. It's been awhile since I Blogged but it wasn't My Fault. My Humans have been Preoccupied. There have been some Changes around here, and I must say I'm not that Pleased.

The biggest Change is that the Humans have brought a New Cat into the Household. She is small, but she is a Harridan. She has been given the Spare Bedroom, where I used to like to go into to Hide Out from That Dog. Now I'm not supposed to go in there anymore! So of course, every Moment I have the Chance, I sneak in and try to eat this Other Cat's food. They give her Wet Food. Now, I didn't used to like Wet Food much. But now that I know this Other Cat gets it, I want it too. It's only Right.

My First Contact with this Other Cat came shortly after her Arrival. She crept into the Humans' Bedroom and started Poking around. I was under the Bed and she immediately made a Beeline to where I was and Poked her Head under! I of course had to Hiss mightily - and she Hissed right back! Then she had the Utter Nerve to go into MY Own Room and Poke around. Luckily the Female Human grabbed her and put her back in what is now known as Her Room after that.

Then the Humans took her AND That Dog up to the Cabin with them. The Other Cat goes by the name "Zoe," apparently, although she is often referred to as "The Little Cat," I guess to differentiate her from Me. I've been called Many Things, but Little is not one of them.

Apparently the Little Cat did enjoy herself at The Cabin. Here is a picture of her sitting on a Chair, which my Female Human took just before they brought her back here on Monday.


Apparently the Little Cat managed to Tame That Dog while she was up there at The Cabin. They don't seem to have a Problem with Each Other now. But boy, she still has a Problem with ME.

The Female Human just brought her out of Her Room to try to Socialize her a bit since she had been Hiding Under the Bed a lot since the Return from the The Cabin. So the Little Cat was sitting in my Female Human's Lap and I came in just to be Sociable. I did a bit of Rubbing About my Human's legs and was truly very Civil, I thought. Well, the Little Cat let loose with some Hissing, Growling and Yowling that would raise the Dead! You'd think I was Attacking her or something. Jeez. She obviously has No Idea that I am about 4 times bigger than she is, or she wouldn't act like That. But I took the High Road and did not respond In Kind.

So, that's the News here from a Personal standpoint. I suppose I have to Put Up with this for now but I will Seek Revenge someday.

As for the News Elswhere, the BP Oil Spill (which should be called a Gusher) may Finally be Capped soon; after a Day of Waiting to ensure there weren't going to be unintended Consequences (like Blowing up the Ocean Floor and making even More Oil come out), BP is closing some Valves on a new Cap they are Installing on the top of the broken well. Let's hope it works.

In the Meantime, more Wildlife is dying. And get this - according to the New York Times, they aren't sure what the Animals are actually dying OF. (Obviously it has to do with the Oil, but they aren't sure of the Mechanism since the Animals are not visibly Contaminated.

So, that is Depressing me a Lot these days. After all, a Lot of us Cats eat Fish, either Directly, or Indirectly in our Cat Food. What will we do if all the Fish are Gone? Many of Us might starve.

In Other News, Dick Cheney got a Ventricular Assist Device on his Heart. I could make all kinds of Snide Comments about whether he actually HAS a Heart, or that his Heart needs all the Help it can Get since he is obviously Challenged in that area...but that would be Mean. As a Cat, I try to take the High Ground. And let's face it, if we were talking about a Member of your Own Family, however heinous you considered their Actions or Beliefs, you probably wouldn't want someone else making Nasty Remarks like that. So I will Bite my Tongue and keep those Remarks to Myself.

This week has not been as Good Week for fans of the New York Yankees. Yankee Announcer Bob Sheppard died on Sunday, followed by Yankee Owner George Steinbrenner on Tuesday. Another Era has Gone.

As a Cat, I am not Old Enough to remember George Steinbrenner back in the Crazy Days when he used to fire and rehire Manager Billy Martin every other day. And the Man really mellowed with Age. In the Obituaries for "The Boss," it is being pointed out everywhere that he was a very Charitable Man and often did generous things Anonymously or without any Fanfare. So, even if you hated George for various reasons, remember he did a lot of Good in the World. And he also was the reason the Yankees have done so well all these last 30+ years. (OK, so if you're a Red Sox fan, you're allowed to hate him for THAT).

On a Cheerier Note, I had a Great Week here at Home by Myself. Sure, I missed my Humans, but I didn't have to deal with That Dog OR the Little Cat. I had the Whole House to Myself. And lest you think I was Jealous that the Little Cat went to the Cabin and I didn't, please Disabuse yourself of THAT Idea. I am not a Traveling Cat. I would've been Under the Bed the Whole Time.

Next time my Female Human posts she will be back to talk about Islam and whether or not the religion and its Followers are the Extreme Threat that Right-Wing Christians seem to think they are. Until then, Enjoy your Catnip and try to stay Calm.

It's a Shanda

"Shanda" is Yiddish for "shame." But it has a further connotation of disgrace or outrage. It's a better word for what is going on in the Gulf than simple "shame." People use "shame" for trivial matters - "It's a shame it had to rain over the weekend." A shanda is a bigger deal.

In today's NY Times, Bob Herbert talks about the bigger ramifications of the oil "spill" (gusher) in the Gulf.

He points out that the livelihoods of thousands of people are at risk, to say nothing of all the types of wildlife that depend on the wetlands along Louisiana's coast.

"The vast, sprawling coastal marshes of Louisiana, where the Mississippi River drains into the gulf, are among the finest natural resources to be found anywhere in the world. And they are a positively crucial resource for America. Think shrimp estuaries and bird rookeries and oyster fishing grounds.

These wetlands are one of the nation’s most abundant sources of seafood. And they are indispensable when it comes to the nation’s bird population. Most of the migratory ducks and geese in the United States spend time in the Louisiana wetlands as they travel to and from Latin America.

Think songbirds. Paul Harrison, a specialist on the Mississippi River and its environs at the Environmental Defense Fund, told me that the wetlands are relied on by all 110 neo-tropical migratory songbird species. The migrating season for these beautiful, delicate creatures is right now — as many as 25 million can pass through the area each day."

I think of the wonderful variety of birds I have been seeing and hearing in the woods near our cabin, and wonder whether they will be there next year.

So far no one has managed to stop the oil from continuing to pour into the once-pristine waters of the Gulf of Mexico. How long can this go on? How many people have to die, how many birds and animals must perish, before America says "enough"?

I know the government is doing things to try to help and that BP is supposedly trying to stop it. But this is a disaster of such magnitude that ordinary effort is not enough. This should be an all-out assault on that oil leak.

Has the government done enough? Maybe, maybe not.

According to the May 8 Times Picayune, President Obama's administration did respond appropriately and quickly to the disaster as it became apparent that it was a bigger problem than originally believed.

"While the Obama administration has faced second-guessing about the speed and effectiveness of some of its actions, a narrative pieced together by The Associated Press, based on documents, interviews and public statements, shows little resemblance to Katrina in either the characterization of the threat or the federal government's response."

And according to Reuters, the government doesn't have the oil industry skills needed to be of any real help:

"The federal government, not in the oil well business, is limited by what direct impact it can have on stopping the leak. The U.S. military does not have skills in the oil sector and officials have stressed the Pentagon is already providing whatever support it can to assist the U.S. response to the disaster.

The Obama administration has piled heavy pressure on BP to speed up its efforts to plug it up. 'We are continuing to push BP to do everything that it can,' said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs."

But is pushing BP enough? BP is the company that brought us this disaster in the first place. They won't want to spend any more money than they have to to clean it up.

And why doesn't the federal government have more ability to stop this leak? Surely our navy has some equipment, some expertise in deep underwater maneuvers, that could be helpful in plugging that hole that is gushing oil a mile underwater. And if not, why not? We have the most powerful navy in the world. Wouldn't you think they would have some knowledge of how to deal with things in the deepest depths of the ocean?

Of course the Republicans don't come off looking good here, not surprisingly. They recently blocked legislation that would have raised the cap on BP's monetary liability from $75 million to $10 billion.

On the other hand, the Obama administration is still playing both sides against the middle on this. Interior Secretary Salazar recently told Congress that too high a cap might endanger the smaller independent oil companies, the same argument given by the GOP.

I can't help thinking that no one is doing enough about this disaster.

Bob Herbert expresses the same feeling, that there has not been a strong enough response to this disaster, either by the Obama administration, or, for that matter, by the public. I mean, why aren't people marching on Washington demanding something more be done?

"The response of the Obama administration and the general public to this latest outrage at the hands of a giant, politically connected corporation has been embarrassingly tepid. We take our whippings in stride in this country. We behave as though there is nothing we can do about it."

While much of the coziness between the government and the oil companies that led us to this place can be blamed on the Republicans, not all of it can be. The Democrats are equally to blame for not overseeing the industry more carefully now that they are in power, and instead just let things go along as before. And many of them were pretty cozy with the oil industry to begin with. As Herbert says,

"The risks unleashed by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig are profound — the latest to be set in motion by the scandalous, rapacious greed of the oil industry and its powerful allies and enablers in government. America is selling its soul for oil."

Of course, I'm not sure America still has a soul to sell these days, but if there's a little something left of it, it will soon be gone if something isn't done to fix this mess and prevent future similar disasters. It's a shanda.

A Cat's Eye View: Baxter's Back

Baxter here. Hoo boy, it's been a long month since my Human last posted here. A lot of Water has gone under the Bridge, as the saying goes. Or maybe I should say, a lot of OIL has gone under the Bridge.

I Apologize for My long Absence here. My Female Human has been Too Preoccupied with her Mother to pay much attention to Me or her Blog. Funny, though, she always has time for that Facebook thing. I myself have a Catbook page but I really never got into it Much.

To be Honest, the main Reason I have time to be on the Computer is because my Human has a Day to Herself and can help Me. It's not for a Good Reason, but it is still a Day to Herself. Her Mother had to go to the Emergency Room of the local Hospital yesterday due to Dehydration. She has been admitted to the Hospital and is doing Well. However, my Human is not sure what to do when her Mother gets Out, as it seems as if, more and more, she really may belong in a Nursing Home due to her Frail Condition. Plus her 89-year-old Aunt has been helping with her Mother's care at home, and my Human is afraid it is starting to Stress Her Out too.

As a Cat, I can't really Comment, but I did spend some Time in the Cat equivalent of a Nursing Home, I suppose you could say. I was at a cat rescue called HAAL (short for Humane Animal Adoption League) before my Humans brought me home. The HAAL Humans were very nice to Us and let us out of our Cages to Play and took Very Good Care of Us. While of course I Prefer being in a whole House, it was Pleasant there. (If You are feeling Generous, please do click on the Link and learn more, and if you can Donate to them, I'm sure they would Appreciate it Deeply.)

My Human also wants me to tell You how much she Appreciates everyone's comments and Good Wishes for her and her Mother. She feels Very Blessed to have so many Friends here in the Interwebs.

As for Me, I have a lot of Catching Up to do on Current Events. As mentioned above, the Biggest Story to me in the past Month is the Horrendous Oil Explosion in the Gulf that is Still Going On.

How those Idiots at BP let this Happen I don't know. But as a Cat, I feel Fellowship with all of the Life in the Gulf that is being Devastated by this continuing Debacle, and it makes me Very Sad. If an Oil Company doesn't know what they would do if their Stupid Oil Well blew up and caused all the Oil to spout out into the Ocean, then they Darn Well shouldn't be Drilling down there in the First Place. Period. And the Government shouldn't be letting Them!

I won't get into all the Stupid things I've heard about - batteries missing and Whatnot, How to Stop It, and Who is to blame. But I'll let Jon Stewart explain it All for you:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
There Will Be Blame
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

In Other News, there was That Day when the Dow Jones Average tanked almost a Thousand Points and still No One really Knows Why. That was Scary. Luckily for my Humans' 401ks, it did Rebound Somewhat by the end of the Day. My Female Human happened to be watching CNN at the time it happened, and she saw her Retirement pass before her Eyes for a few minutes there.

Also during this past Month, President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, receiving both Pats on the Head and whacks with the Rolled-Up Newspaper from Both Sides. Liberals are Worried she isn't Liberal Enough, and of Course, the Right would never think ANYONE the President nominated would be Conservative enough. We Cats tend to be Very Liberal, so in My View she probably isn't Liberal Enough. It seems as if the Republicans never have any Compunction about nominating people that are to the Right of Genghis Kahn, while Democrats are afraid to go anywhere but Slightly Left of Center at the Most when they nominate a Justice, resulting in a Court that shifts increasingly Rightward.

However, Elena Kagan hasn't really left enough of a Paper Trail to keep her from being Nominated or even give the Liberals any real reason to Worry. I say, give her the Benefit of the Doubt and hope she is more Liberal than she lets on. That happens sometimes even when a Justice is appointed by the Republicans. Let's hope it works for the Dems too.

I shall End with one of my Cheery and Uplifting stories so as to leave You on a Positive Note. My Human told me about this so I thought I'd pass it on to You. She was walking That Dog the other Morning, and as they started to pass a Garbage Can on the Street, she noticed that the white plastic garbage bag in the can was Wiggling, as if Something was Stuck Inside and trying to get Out! Holes at the bottom of the bag showed where the Creature had gotten in, but it wasn't smart enough to go Back the Way it Came.

A Man walking his dog approached, and my Human called his Attention to the bag. "I think there's a squirrel or something stuck inside that bag!" she said.

He looked while That Dog and his dog started sniffing hello. My Human said she was worried because the Garbage Truck would be along shortly. The Man looked around and got a long Stick and came back and started Poking the bag with it. He said, "I think it's a bird!" Suddenly the bag tore, and flying out of it came a large, disgruntled Starling! He took off indignantly, as if it were Their fault that he was stuck inside.

"We did our good deed for the day!" said the Man, and continued on with his dog, as did my Female Human. One less thing to Worry About.

Personally, I think they should have brought the Bag Home to Me so I could deal with that Starling!

In the Meantime, I'm going to add Beer to the Catnip I regularly Consume just to get through the latest News Events. Sometimes you need more Sedation than Others. Hang in there, and maybe Things will Improve.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures