We spent last week at Cape Cod. Yes, that was the week that the entire Northeast was getting pummeled by the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole. Home in New Jersey, the rain was unending and torrential, from what I understand. But guess what? It didn't hit the Cape.
We were really lucky - our weather was warm and summerlike nearly every day. It rained lightly at night a couple of times but cleared off by morning. We did have one foggy gray day, but it didn't rain. Friday of the week we were there, it did rain - but not until the afternoon, after we'd already been to the beach and Diva had had her swim in the pond. So we really chose the right week to get out of town.
Below is Diva enjoying the beach.
The main purpose in going to the Cape for the second time this year was to bring some of my mother's ashes and scatter them at the Cape where she spent time almost every summer since she was a little girl. We had also paid to have a bench installed with a plaque in memory of my mother and father in the little park surrounding the Eastham Windmill, so we wanted to see that as well.
My half-sister and brother-in-law came up for several days to join us, as they had not been able to attend my mother's memorial service and wanted to be there for this second event.
We brought some of the ashes down to the bay and I scratched them into the sand and let the water wash over them. My sister said a few words that brought tears to my eyes, and we stood there for awhile looking out at the bay afterwards. It was a cool and windy day and there was no one on the beach but us.
Another day, we brought a few of the ashes over to the Windmill park and put them under the bench as a little dedication. I have no idea if this is legal or not but we only used a small symbolic amount. Here are my sister and me, sitting on the bench:
And here is the view of the windmill from the bench.
I still have a lot of my mother's ashes left. I may take some to Scotland next time we go - it was my mother's other favorite place. I didn't realize what a large amount of ashes there would be - the other half are buried next to my father in the cemetery, so I thought there wouldn't be that much. I could scatter Mom in a number of other significant locations if I want to. Israel is another place that comes to mind; she loved her trip there back in 1990. While some people wouldn't like the idea of being scattered hither and yon, my mother, who loved to travel, would probably think it's a great idea.
We had a good time at the Cape, but of course, it reminded me of my mom all over again. But at least I'll always know there is a little bit of her that will forever be there with me.
I still haven't been blogging on political matters the way I used to. The discourse in this country has gotten so low, the standards of both parties so poor, that I no longer feel as if they are speaking to me or anyone I know. The Democrats can't manage to stand up for one principle, all the while blaming all their problems on the Republicans. The Republicans, of course, are reprehensible beyond all belief, refusing to go along with a single thing the President wants done.
The Democrats buried the Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal in some obscure part of a military spending bill, then tacked on some other controversial stuff (the DREAM Act)and then didn't let the Republicans make every single amendment they wanted to make.
So as usual the Republicans had a hissy fit, got their 60 votes to vote the whole thing down, effectively killing DADT repeal until after the election, at the very least. Naturally the Republicans probably would've voted it down anyway, just for spite, but they were able to come up with some plausible, if silly, reasons to do it at this particular time.
As ever, the GOP bears the greatest responsibility for having once again denied LGBT Americans from openly serving in the armed forces. But I can't help but wonder if the Democrats could've handled it better. Either way, it is just one more sign of the massive divisions in this country, and how no one in government can manage to get anything done.
...Which brings us to Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity. Last Thursday night, September 16, on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart announced that he is holding a rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 30, 2010, to "Restore Sanity." Using a montage of video clips, he demonstrated the extremist rhetoric on both the left and the right.
He pointed out that 70-80% of the population is not part of the far left or far right, but we never hear from them "because you have sh*t to do."
His announcement, done in tandem with Stephen Colbert, was followed by Stephen Colbert's own announcement for a rally on the same day: His satirical "March to Keep Fear Alive.".
Both rallies will happen simultaneously on the Mall and no doubt will attract the same type of audience members, as I'm sure they planned.
Something about these rallies, particularly the idea of restoring sanity, has resonated with many Americans. Not only have over 100,000 people said they are attending on Facebook, but satellite rallies are being formed all over the country.
Now, I am not a person who goes to rallies; in fact, I really don't like crowds at all. The only march I ever went on was in 1972 when I was a freshman in college, and on the first Earth Day, everyone marched on Boston Common protesting the war (Vietnam of course) and marching for the environment. Then they stopped having marches. The apathy of the 70s began and that was the end of it all, at least for me. Maybe the beer was part of the reason, I'm not sure.
Anyway, when I heard about the Rally to Restore Sanity, my first reaction was, "Let's go! We should DO this!" My husband grunted and ignored me. It was 11:15 p.m., he was tired, he figured I'd forget about it by the next day. But I didn't. I started talking about it again. He said I was nuts, he said "This is no 1963 march on Washington - they're COMEDIANS! They're trying to make money!" But I persisted. It also helped that a very good friend of mine, who is always up for doing something spontaneous, also thought it was a great idea. So guess what? We're all going! Me, DH, my friend, her husband and probably even their daughter.
Not only are we going, but many of my blogger and Facebook friends are going. People I haven't seen since college are going. This could be big.
"So what," you may say. "Your husband's right. Jon Stewart is just a comedian. Why are people taking this seriously, as if it matters?"
The answer is, he has struck a nerve with the American people. I think everyone is sick to death of hearing the wrangling going on in Congress. Nothing gets done. The Republicans in government are perfectly happy with that, but most Independents and moderate Republicans in the Real World are not. Those of us on the left are sorely disappointed that so many of the changes Candidate Obama promised are not taking place under President Obama, or if they are, they are being watered down until they are but a shadow of what was promised, just to get them past the Congress.
Those of us who have worked in the business world know that nothing gets done unless people are willing to see the other side of things, and to work with those with whom they may not see eye-to-eye. But in Congress, it seems as if the participants never learned this. To them, it's "My side has to win at all costs." They don't care whether their "win" is a win for the American people or not.
Politics doesn't just make strange bedfellows. Politics also makes people power-hungry, greedy and angry. I'd be willing to bet that testosterone levels go up in members of either gender once they get involved in politics.
One reason is, there is something wrong with a system that has House Representatives up for re-election every two years. For all intents and purposes, these people are campaigning 24/7 for 24 months. There is never a real opportunity or incentive to settle down and work with each other, especially since the whole House turns over at once, every election cycle. Those elected to the Senate, at least, have six-year terms, which allow them some opportunity to actually do some work, which is why the Senate appears marginally more sane than the House. However, there is still always someone up for re-election each cycle, so it's not as if politics doesn't play a part at all times there as well.
And what about the poor President? He has a four-year term, but after the first two years, he too is starting to run for re-election. Heck, the other side starts thinking of who they're going to put up against him next time during the month after his election!
At one time, when the Founding Fathers first came up with the idea of the Congress, they had no idea there would be people who made a career out of being in politics. They never envisioned six-term or seven-term Congressmen, or Senators who served 40 years in office. They thought people wouldn't want to be away from their farms that long; that one term, or maybe two, would be quite enough. It is time for a change in how Congress does business. We need longer terms, and fewer of them, for the House, and term limits for the Senate.
But I digress. "What about Jon Stewart's Rally?" you say. "I thought that's what we were talking about."
It is. But one reason for the partisan politics getting worse and worse is the constant election cycles, as well as, of course, Cable News shows - "News" being a term I use loosely, since none of these shows are news shows anymore, they are all partisan on one side or another.
The media truly is the message. That's why all we see on these shows are the Tea Partiers. It doesn't matter that these people are a small part of the total population, they're making all the noise, and they're getting all the publicity. Glenn Beck's rally in Washington had all kinds of coverage on every station, and the pictures of the rally showed a sea of faces at the Mall, giving the impression that his followers are a huge Movement.
Now, finally, the rest of us have a chance to have OUR say. Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" will give the moderates (and liberals - since most of Stewart and Colbert's fans lean left) - a chance to show their numbers. Even among liberals, many of us decry the nasty discourse on both sides of the aisle, and the inability of either side to work meaningfully together.
According to CNN contributor, John Avalon, "This isn't a concealed campaign rally for either party. It's a counterprotest against the rising tide of conformity that causes hyperpartisans to demonize people with whom they disagree. It's the anti-demagogue Saturday on the mall; people taking to the streets and yelling, 'Be reasonable!'"
That said, I do hope that the excitement generated by this gathering will help propel the moderates and independents to the polls, and energize them to vote for the more reasonable candidate of their choice. Otherwise we might end up with a Congress full of Tea Party representatives.
Jon Stewart likes to point out that he specializes in "fake news" and is a comedian. But when you're voted the most trusted man in news, that means you have a responsibility to uphold. I think he is up to it and that this rally will be an amazing event. I look forward to seeing many fellow bloggers and Facebook friends there, as well as friends from my own town. And if you're not going to Washington, I encourage you to go to a satellite rally in your area if they are having one!
We returned Monday night from ten days at the Cabin. In some ways it felt even longer, in a good way, because over the Labor Day weekend my dear friend and her daughter were visiting, then we had a couple of days alone, and then my father-in-law came up on Thursday and stayed until Monday. So it was as if we had three separate trips to the cabin, one after the other.
I was really glad my friend and her daughter could join us for the long weekend. My friend's daughter is very special to me, since I didn't have children of my own, and I've known her since she was a toddler; so I think of her as the daughter I never had. As Megan got older we joked that she takes after me, since we share some of the same tendencies and little quirks. So she calls me "MO" for "Mother Other." (We didn't want it to be Other Mother, as OM sounded too much like a yoga mantra). To keep her anonymity (she is almost 15 and I'm sure wouldn't want me to be blogging about her), in this post I will call her Megan, which is not her real name.
While they were there, the weather was very changeable. The first few days were basically nice, but windy with a mixture of clouds and sun.
It was cool enough in the evenings to sit out on our deck huddled around the fire in our brass chiminea, enjoying the flicker of the flames and telling stories. Megan had just gotten back from sleepaway camp, where she had spent four weeks over the summer, two in early July and two at the end of August. So she regaled us with all the camp songs she could remember, and the ghost stories that the counselors had told them. I chimed in with some of the ghost stories we used to tell around the campfire on our Girl Scout campouts, as well as singing a few of the songs I knew. I love camp ghost stories; they all share the common theme that whatever horrific thing happened, it happened RIGHT HERE at this camp, and the person telling the story KNOWS a person who was there at the time.
During the Labor Day weekend we spent our time together eating, drinking, reading books, walking in the woods, and journeying out for adventures.
One day we went all the way back to the Albany area to go to a Scottish Fair they were having in Altamont. It was one of those breezy, changeable days with clouds and sun, a perfect day for walking around the fairgrounds. Diva was welcome there, and spent the day meeting people she'd never met before, as we toured the various Scottish and Irish inspired jewelry, clothing and food booths. We stopped to watch the Highland Games for awhile and enjoyed the throwing of the caber.
We were surprised to come across a fish & chips booth that was run by Kearny, New Jersey's own Argyle Restaurant. Sure enough, there was one of the men we'd seen many a time when we attended the Robert Burns Suppers at the restaurant.
Of course we had to patronize a New Jersey business, so my friend opted for a plate of fish and chips, while DH and I chose fried haggis balls. Yes, that sounds really grotesque, but fried haggis balls are great. Take a bunch of meat, spices, and onions, wrap it in thick breadcrumbs and dough, and throw it in a deep fryer, and out comes crunchy, salty, tasty goodness. I'm sure my arteries have still not recovered. Haggis balls are probably almost as "good" for you as Scotch Eggs (fried dough around sausage with an egg in the center, which Argyle's had run out of before we got there, to our dismay).
We also stopped at the Beer Tent and had a pint while listening to a rollicking good band play Irish and Scottish music, followed by another group playing the pipes and drums. All in all, it was a great day for the Scottish - and anyone else who enjoys the food and music! Following are some pictures we took at the fair.
The entrance:
The band
The "feral haggis" display
My friend and her daughter holding Diva as she observes the native Scottish wildlife.
There were kilted men everywhere.
A view of some of the booths selling various goods and trinkets.
There was a lot of food to be had.
And lots of kilts to buy.
A young man clad as a primitive Scottish warrior of some kind, wielding his cell phone anachronistically.
Pipes and drums!
Diva meeting new friends at the fair.
While our friends were there, we also had a good dinner down in Whitehall, NY at our local Italian restaurant, The Roma Restaurant, which has the best lasagna I've found anywhere, even in New Jersey.
After our friends left, it seemed quiet, and we felt lazy and just relaxed for a couple of days. Unfortunately for DH's dad, the weather turned cooler and cloudier when he arrived, so we were stuck inside more than we'd hoped. However, we did have one beautiful day where we sat out on the deck to eat breakfast in the sun, enjoying pancakes and mimosas. (DH's dad brought up the champagne for that purpose).
On one of the cloudy days, we drove to Glens Falls and went to the Hyde Collection, a small exquisite museum contained within the Hyde family's historic home. It reminded us of a smaller version of the Frick or Isabella Stewart Gardner museums.
In addition to the permanent collection, there are newer wings added to the house that are used for changing exhibitions. We had just missed a collection of Andrew Wyeth's work on the day we were there. That was just as well, since the museum was remarkably empty during our visit; one of the guards told us there had been 700-800 people there over Labor Day weekend viewing the Wyeth exhibit.
The museum overlooks the Finch Paper Company factory, an industry that has been in Glens Falls since 1865 when it was founded as Finch Pruyn & Co. (It was sold in 2007 to a holding company funded by investors from another paper company, and is now known as Finch Paper LLC). The "Pruyn" part of the name is where the Hydes come in. Charlotte Hyde was originally Charlotte Pruyn, daughter of the papermill owner, and when she married Louis Hyde, he became a vice president in Finch Pruyn, thus helping to fund their hobby of art collecting.
The museum is still set up as a house, with each room containing priceless furniture, tapestries, and decorative pieces dating back as far as the 15th century. The artwork on the walls is equally exquisite. While the collection of paintings is not huge, it comprises gems from various eras and countries, from Rembrandt, Rubens, El Greco and Van Dyck to Renoir, James Whistler, Winslow Homer, Albert Bierstadt and even Picasso. This museum is a must-see for any art lover. Below is one painting from the collection - a portrait of Jesus by Rembrandt (taken from the Hyde Collection website). The meal we had in Whitehall on our way back from the museum was also well worth mentioning. For anyone not familiar with Whitehall, my excitement about this restaurant has to be explained.
Whitehall is a rather down-at-heel post-industrial town on the banks of the Champlain Canal. The town was formerly prosperous, due to the proximity of the canal, which once transported goods up and down its length, resulting in many businesses springing up along its shores, and a number of grand homes. Unfortunately, now that this type of transportation is done mainly by truck, time has kind of passed by Whitehall. There are many empty shops and shabby storefronts, and very few good restaurants. There is one over at the marina that we have not yet tried, and one on the other side of the canal that was good but nearly empty the time we were there. Roma and the House of Pizza are the ones we frequent most often.
So imagine our surprise when we drove down the main street by the canal and saw a lit up, busy new restaurant one evening! We looked it up on Google and sure enough, they had just opened in August and were obviously fulfilling an unmet need in the community, as there was a line waiting outside the door to get in. City Steaks & Seafood is hip, trendy, and reasonably priced, with great lobsters and steaks as well as other more ambitous dishes.
The building used to be a bank, and the outside has been restored and lit up tastefully with the name of the restaurant above the doorway. Inside, it has been totally remodeled, with exposed brick walls, wood floors, and a cozy and lively ambience. The service was good, the waiter was friendly, and the food excellent. Our steaks were done perfectly (mine "mid-rare" and DH's "medium rare" - they actually managed to make mine a little rarer than his!), and Dad's twin lobsters (only $19.95) were hefty specimens and perfectly cooked. DH and I also had lobster (we had the steak and lobster special) and were equally pleased with our lobsters. We are looking forward to our next trip to the Cabin so we can go there again very soon. (Below is a picture of the outside of the restaurant taken from their Facebook page, linked above.) The next day we had to pack up and leave our cabin until our next visit, which won't be until October 8th, as we are heading up to Cape Cod for a week in between. Before then, however, I will be catching up on blogs and blogging!
Billy Bragg wrote revised English lyrics to sing "The Internationale" with Pete Seeger at the Vancouver Folk Festival. Those lyrics are featured in the video above. Below are the English lyrics translated directly from the French, followed by the explanation of the origins of this socialist labor anthem. (I think I like Billy's English version better).
The Internationale
Arise ye workers from your slumbers Arise ye prisoners of want For reason in revolt now thunders And at last ends the age of cant Away with all your superstitions Servile masses arise, arise We'll change henceforth the old tradition And spurn the dust to win the prize
Chorus So comrades, come rally And the last fight let us face The Internationale unites the human race So comrades, come rally And the last fight let us face The Internationale unites the human race
No more deluded by reaction On tyrants only we'll make war The soldiers too will take strike action They'll break ranks and fight no more And if those cannibals keep trying To sacrifice us to their pride They soon shall hear the bullets flying We'll shoot the generals on our own side
No saviour from on high delivers No faith have we in prince or peer Our own right hand the chains must shiver Chains of hatred, greed and fear E'er the thieves will out with their booty And give to all a happier lot Each at the forge must do their duty And we'll strike while the iron is hot.
"The Internationale was written to celebrate the Paris Commune of March-May 1871: the first time workers took state power into their own hands. They established in the Commune a form of government more democratic than ever seen before. Representatives were mandated on policy questions by their electors, they were recallable at any time and were paid wages that reflected those of their constituents. Marx's Civil War in France is a contemporary account of the history and significance of the Commune. The Commune was drowned in blood by the conservative French government in Versailles, cheered on by the ruling classes of the world. The words were written by poet Eugene Pottier one of Communards who was killed and the music by was written by his friend the composer Pierre Degeyter in 1888.
The song is still sung right around the world and Rob Elders in Holland has collected over 40 versions of The Internationale." Source: Union Songs
Hi everybody! I haven't written here for awhile because Mommy and Daddy have been keeping me really busy lately, driving up to the cabin in the woods and back again every weekend. But I have some things to tell you about and am really happy to be here!
The best news is that because I'm so friendly I got another Pit Bull saved from a shelter! Here's what happened. Our town has something they call a Cruise Night on Wednesday evenings in the summer, where all kinds of people come with big old fashioned cars and hang around and they play loud music and everyone is in a good mood. The street is closed off and they let Daddy and me walk around in the street and I get to meet people. My favorite thing!
So one Wednesday evening we were walking and met a woman that Daddy knew from town. Of course I loved her right away. I love all people! Especially women! Of course I was on my best behavior as always, and wearing my purple harness with my matching purple bandana, and when I met the woman and her friend who was with her, my tail wagged so hard my butt almost fell off. They both loved me, of course. Who wouldn't?
As always, Daddy told my story, how I was adopted from The Animal Farm Foundation, which rescues Pit Bull Terriers from shelters and trains them and adopts them out to be what they call Breed Ambassadors. I try really hard to be the best Breed Ambassador I can be and I am always calling attention to myself to let everyone know how friendly I am. I even wag at passing cars if they slow down. After all, they might be friends I haven't met yet and they might want to stop and pat me!
As it turned out, the woman was considering getting a dog. And because she met me and was so impressed with what a great dog I am, she went to the Bukowski Animal Shelter and adopted a fellow Pit Bull Terrier - Lola Grace! Here is her picture. As you can see, she is enjoying living the good life just as I do! So that is my good news!
The other news is, my Mommy and Daddy seem to have gotten a new cat. It's not even half the size of the other one we have, that big one they call Baxter. He knows his place and lets me chase him all over the house if I feel like it. But this little orange one they call Zoe is another story! The first time I came over to see her when she was in Mommy's lap, she made a big hissing noise and smacked me on the eyebrow. I try to avoid her whenever possible now, but if I come near her, instead of moving out of my way or running, as Baxter would do, this one just stands there. In fact, sometimes she goes out of her way to come in my direction or even smack me again! It's not very nice. But I just try to keep out of her way and will make the best of it as I always do.
For some reason they bring her up to the cabin with us and she acts as if she owns the place. I was there first. But I guess I can put up with it since Mommy and Daddy still take me on great walks in the woods and give me plenty of treats.
Another thing we get to do when we go to the cabin is go to a restaurant in a nearby town where we can sit outside while my Mommy and Daddy eat, and they let me come too! They even give me water and biscuits to keep me happy while we're there. I love going there! Everyone is lined up waiting to greet me when I arrive! And they are always glad to see me! Mommy and Daddy say they have good beer there too. I wouldn't know as I'm not allowed to drink beer, although it smells good to me.
We went to Cape Cod in June and I had a great time swimming in Depot Pond at the cottages we stay at. The Other Daddy came too, the one that seems to be my Daddy's father. He had fun too. I got to go on lots of walks and meet lots of people! My favorite thing!
Every morning we would walk to the little store on the corner and Daddy would go inside and come back out with a bag while Mommy stayed with me. Sometimes people would come up and say hello to me! I love that! A couple of times Mommy walked me there by herself and didn't go into the store. She wanted to just turn around and go back to the cottage, but I wouldn't leave until we waited outside the store long enough for someone to say hello to me. After all, isn't that why we go there? I also like waiting outside because sometimes a nice man will come out and give me a biscuit. It's disappointing on those days he doesn't do that. But if I get to say hello to someone that is enough for me.
The other really neat thing about Cape Cod is rabbits. They are all over the grounds of the cottages and I love seeing them. Mommy and Daddy don't let me off the leash so I never get to actually catch one. But I love to stalk them and then do a quick run until they hop away into the bushes!
Even though I love woodsy areas I also love being in cities and towns! We go to a place called Provincetown and walk up and down the street there. Lots of people stop and pat me. And there are lots of other dogs. There is even a big stuffed wolf in front of one of the stores! The first time I saw and smelled it I thought it was real! My hackles went up and I went over to it very cautiously. Then I realized how silly I'd been. It wasn't alive after all. Now I studiously ignore it when we go by.
When I'm home, if I'm not getting a walk in the park, I've been spending my time hanging out on the deck in my fenced yard, barking occasionally when the neighbors walk their dogs by my house, and on the hot days, Mommy or Daddy fill my pool and I chase the ball into the water and get wet. I love jumping in the pool! And it cools me off!
So that's what I've been doing this summer. How has your summer been?
It's hot. Too hot to blog. When we go up to the cabin and it's cooler, all I want to do is sit outside and enjoy the breeze. There are a lot of things that are swirling around in my mind to talk about, but lifting fingers to keyboard just seems like such an effort.
Today I am finally ready to vent about a few things and also share some pictures from the cooler North where we've been spending our weekends. And I think I'll even throw in some haiku. Talk about a potpourri!
New Jersey swelters Under a hot, hazy sky Sweat drips off my brow.
Can't weed the garden Too hot to plant hydrangeas All I do is sit.
The dog minds the heat But still wants to take a walk She must be crazy.
Up at the cabin Temperatures are cooler I live for weekends.
I have to say, in July the temperatures at the cabin, while cooler, were still quite hot, since the major heat wave we had in New Jersey hit the Adirondacks as well. When it was 106 in New Jersey, it was 96 at the cabin. And that is still darned hot. And on top of that, July is the Season of Deer Flies in the Adirondacks. We couldn't walk anywhere without deer flies inundating us and nipping at our heads. Even the dog didn't want to walk in the woods. So we took to driving around in our air conditioned car (since the cabin doesn't have any air conditioning and the fan only runs when the generator is on!) and stopping at Schroon Lake to walk and let Diva swim a bit.
This is what a Deer Fly looks like: This is a highly magnified picture; they are actually relatively small and like to fly around in a swarm around your head, or on the dog. And they bite. But by August the cooler weather is already coming to the mountains and they dissipate.
The other thing that goes away in August is the algae. Our pond is a primordial soup of fish, turtles, frogs and other wildlife, and it does pretty well all year, unless it gets really hot. Last summer there was no algae in the pond that we could see, as it was a cool and rainy year. This July was another story; the pond turned into a big bowl of what looked like a combination of pea and lentil soup with a whitish sheen on it; black leaves from the bottom of the pond floated to the surface. The pond looked unpleasant and possibly poisonous. We kept away from it.
Lo and behold, when we drove up this weekend it was back to normal, its dark, mysterious clarity restored.
In fact, the August weather at the cabin couldn't be better; comfortable highs during the day and a few nights that are actually autumn-like. We brought our little-used brass fire pit from home up to the cabin and sat out on the deck in the evenings with a roaring fire keeping us warm.
Earlier in the summer I planted some wildflowers around the pond (one of those mixes you can buy in a bag at the hardware store) and some of them apparently sprouted. We also found that we have a few large thistle plants and Goldenrod, which are quite showy in their own way. DH took some pictures: My mother's cat Zoe loves going up to the cabin. She feels it is all hers (except for the Pesky Dog) and she gets to go for walks. I bought her a cute little purple harness and a fancy gold leash just for her, and she strolls around, chewing delightedly on grass and exploring the landscape. Here is a picture of her surveying her territory:
As for the various things that are irking me in the real world, I could list many, but one of the most annoying things to me right now is the total dysfunction of our country, and the fact that we are going backward instead of forward. Paul Krugman had a pessimistic op ed piece about this the other day. In his column he stated:
"Meanwhile, a country that once amazed the world with its visionary investments in transportation, from the Erie Canal to the Interstate Highway System, is now in the process of unpaving itself: in a number of states, local governments are breaking up roads they can no longer afford to maintain, and returning them to gravel.
And a nation that once prized education — that was among the first to provide basic schooling to all its children — is now cutting back. Teachers are being laid off; programs are being canceled; in Hawaii, the school year itself is being drastically shortened. And all signs point to even more cuts ahead."
Truly our country is going backward. We are no longer the innovators, no longer willing to have the "can do" attitude that got America to the moon before the Soviet Union. We are no longer the country that leads the way in manufacturing, energy, education or anything else for that matter - except greed.
"By 2025, the report projected, Ireland, Denmark and Britain will also get 40 percent or more of their electricity from renewable sources; if power from large-scale hydroelectric dams, an older type of renewable energy, is included, countries like Canada and Brazil join the list.
The United States, which last year generated less than 5 percent of its power from newer forms of renewable energy, will lag behind at 16 percent (or just over 20 percent, including hydroelectric power), according to IHS."
Was it easy for Portugal to accomplish what they've done so far? No, it required government involvement in industries, it meant higher electricity costs, and various other sacrifices that apparently the Portuguese - and their government - are willing to make in order to accomplish something they feel is worthwhile and important. Of course, if you read the article, you can just hear the GOP and the Tea Partiers crying "Socialism!" at every turn. Portugal is part of the EU, which has carbon trading, there are government guarantees of stable prices to the energy suppliers, and other policies. However, in the long run, the country expects the transition to pay off. Will their energy costs be cheaper than those of countries that rely on cheap coal for their power? No. But will they be cheaper than what Portugal was paying before, since they did not use coal? Yes.
"In making the shift, Portugal has overcome longstanding concerns about reliability and high cost. The lights go on in Lisbon even when the wind dies down at the vast two-year-old Alto Minho wind farm. The country’s electricity production costs and consumer electricity rates — including the premium prices paid for power from renewable sources — are about average for Europe, but still higher than those in China or the United States, countries that rely on cheap coal.
Portugal says it has kept costs down by focusing heavily on the cheapest forms of renewable energy — wind and hydropower — and ratcheting down the premium prices it pays to lure companies to build new plants.
While the government estimates that the total investment in revamping Portugal’s energy structure will be about 16.3 billion euros, or $22 billion, that cost is borne by the private companies that operate the grid and the renewable plants and is reflected in consumers’ electricity rates. The companies’ payback comes from the 15 years of guaranteed wholesale electricity rates promised by the government. Once the new infrastructure is completed, Mr. Pinho said, the system will cost about 1.7 billion euros ($2.3 billion) a year less to run than it formerly did, primarily by avoiding natural gas imports.
A smaller savings will come from carbon credits Portugal can sell under the European Union’s carbon trading system: countries and industries that produce fewer emissions than allotted can sell permits to those that exceed their limits."
What we must ask ourselves is, how much more are we willing to pay for energy that is made right here in the United States instead of imported from countries that hate us, for energy that is clean, rather than coming from powerplants driven by coal, which spread acid rain across our forests, and the extraction of whose fuel results in pollution and ugly scars on the mountains of Kentucky and West Virginia? Do Americans no longer have any ability to sacrifice even a penny to a worthwhile change?
Clean, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar panels and hydro power have their own issues. But one reason the United States has trouble even converting to any of these energy sources is that our power grid is completely outdated, and there seems to be no political will to update it. Even the limited renewable energy sources we have, such as wind turbines, are not being fully utilized since our system has no way to store the energy they produce if it is not being used immediately.
Our country desperately needs a makeover. But the constant drumbeat of the Right against ever raising taxes, even on the very rich, and a lack of political will on the part of the Left, precludes the country from making any of the changes that need to be made. And Americans themselves have forgotten what it means to be willing to pay a little more and get something done.
Don't worry, they will complain about the potholes in the road and the lousy service on the commuter lines, and the poor education in our schools. Americans are great at complaining about lack of services. But they're even better at complaining about taxes. And without taxes, you don't get roads. You don't get infrastructure. You don't get garbage collected. And eventually you live in a third-world country.
And on that cheery note, I will escape back to the August swelter. Try to stay cool and enjoy the summer!
As I may have mentioned before, I have a friend (former work colleague) who is what I would call a "right-wing Christian." She would call herself simply a Christian. (Of course, she calls me a Liberal - and not as a compliment!). She is a lovely woman and as long as we don't talk about politics or religion we get along fine.
However, back when we worked together, we did make a tradition of occasionally meeting for lunch (along with another person whose political/religious views were in the middle between the two of us) and discussing polarizing subjects such as abortion, gay marriage, evolution and other topics. We did this to try to explore our viewpoints and understand what the "other side" was thinking about those subjects.
She retired six or so years ago, and we still met for lunch on occasion but didn't discuss the forbidden topics anymore. More recently we've only been in touch on e-mail. I have sent her a couple of pictures from the old days when we worked together and a note from time to time. She, on the other hand, has taken to sending me some of the "right-wing" e-mails that get forwarded to her. More and more, these e-mails pertain to Islam, and the threat it poses to Western Civilization, America, and of course, Christians.
Sometimes I just ignore these e-mails. If something is particularly egregious, however, I have felt compelled to respond. And what I've learned is, no matter how conciliatory a Liberal may be in dealing with a Right-Winger, and no matter how many concessions a Liberal may make (e.g., "you have a good point about X, but I do disagree with Y"), the Right-Winger only sees things in black and white and makes no concessions.
I am using my friend as an example of this, and am not trying to make her seem like a bad person. She is sincere in her beliefs and I respect her belief in Christianity. I am writing about this because I am interested to hear others' opinions about some of the points being made, and to share my reaction to them.
One of the key issues that seems to be irking the Right these days is Islam: the religion; and Muslims, the whole group of people who believe in any form of Islam.
Most recently, my friend sent me the following video, which talks about the proposed mosque and community center that will likely be built near Ground Zero. If you listen to it all the way through, it basically says, based on a few quotes from the Qur'an, that Muslims are two-faced and we shouldn't trust them if they want to build a mosque at this site.
I wrote back and told her that if they own the land and are not violating any zoning laws, they have every right to build the mosque there, as one of this country's founding principles is freedom of religion. I told her if we were to ban a mosque there, we would need to also ban any other religious buildings near Ground Zero (i.e., zone them out).
Her response included the following:
"Destroying the American culture and allowing a foreign culture to move in is dangerous – especially when groups like the Muslims refuse to assimilate and begin to demand that they be given the right to govern themselves outside our constitution and laws. This is what is occurring as they more and more demand that Sharia Law be allowed and supported by the politicians. Look at England, France and Spain."
She also forwarded an essay comparing Muslims to the Nazis during World War II, in that the silent majority of Germans did not stand up to the Nazis when they still could have:
"A German's View on Islam
A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. 'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant.
It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:
Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts--the fanatics who threaten our way of life."
First of all, my question is, is it true that the peaceful Muslims don't speak up? Or are we just not hearing about them since the media control what we hear and see, and stories about scary Muslims get a lot higher ratings? I'm guessing the latter explanation is the case.
"Using the concept of Jihad to justify harming the innocent is contrary to the letter and spirit of Islam. We condemn any violence that springs from this misguided interpretation."
So to lump all Muslims into one group and tar them with the same brush is as silly as saying that all Christians believe the same thing. Most Christians would certainly condemn the bombing of abortion clinics or even some of the hate speech coming out of certain churches such as the Westboro Baptist Church. So why would conservative Christians believe that all Muslims approve of the hate speech and violence of just some of the denominations in their religion? It's like comparing Westboro Baptist to the United Church of Christ, which ordains gay ministers, both men and women, looks at the Bible as mainly symbolic, and has a very liberal outlook. No comparison! You wouldn't even know it was the same religion.
My friend also forwarded the following comparisons, obviously cut and pasted from elsewhere, into one of her notes to me:
"Mohammed was the prophet of war; Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7).
Mohammed's disciples killed for the faith; Christ's disciples were killed for their faith (Acts 12:2; 2 Timothy 4:7).
Mohammed promoted persecution against the "infidels"; Christ forgave and converted the chief persecutor (1 Timothy 1:13-15).
Mohammed was the taker of life; Christ was the giver of life (John 10:27-28).
Mohammed and his fellow warriors murdered thousands; Christ murdered none but saved many (compare John 12:48).
Mohammed's method was COMPULSION; Christ's aim was voluntary CONVERSION (Acts 3:19).
Mohammed practiced FORCE; Christ preached FAITH (John 6:29, 35).
Mohammed was a WARRIOR; Christ is a DELIVERER (Col. 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Mohammed conquered his enemies with the sword; Christ conquered his enemies with another kind of sword, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12; Acts 2:37).
Mohammed said to the masses, "Convert or die!"; Christ said, "Believe and live!" (John 6:47; 11:25-26).
Mohammed was swift to shed blood (Romans 3:15-17); Christ shed His own blood for the salvation of many (Ephesians 1:7).
Mohammed preached "Death to the infidels!"; Christ prayed "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
Mohammed declared a holy war (Jihad) against infidels; Christ achieved a holy victory on Calvary's cross (Colossians 2:14-15) and His followers share in that victory (John 16:33).
Mohammed constrained people by conquest; Christ constrained people by love (2 Corinthians 5:14).
Modern terrorists derive their inspiration from Mohammed and carry out their despicable atrocities in the name of his god; Christians derive their inspiration from the One who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9).
Modern day disciples of Mohammed respond to the terrorist attacks by cheering in the streets; Modern day disciples of Christ are deeply grieved at past atrocities carried out by those who were "Christians" in name only (the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, etc.)."
My reaction to these statements is that it is very interesting that the Christian beliefs show their sources in the Bible; there are no corresponding sources for the alleged beliefs of the Muslims from the Qur'an. So are any of these comparisons valid?
First of all, it is ironic that the "modern day disciples of Christ" are said to be deeply grieved by past atrocities carried out by "Christians" in the past. I'm sure those past Christians thought they were carrying out the word of God at the time. Plus the generalization that all modern disciples of Mohammed cheer for the terrorist attacks is equally disingenuous (see point #1 above, that there are many Muslims who condemn the attacks).
"If anyone slays a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew all people. And if anyone saves a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people. Qur'an 5:32
Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching. And argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious... And if you punish, let your punishment be proportional to the wrong that has been done to you. But if you show patience, that is indeed the best course. Be patient, for your patience is from God. And do not grieve over them, or distress yourself because of their plots. For God is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good. Qur'an 16:125-128
Oh you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be against rich or poor, for God can best protect both. Follow not the cravings of your hearts, lest you swerve, and if you distort justice or decline to do justice, verily God is well acquainted with all that you do. Qur'an 4:135
The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree), but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from God, for God loves not those who do wrong. But indeed, if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong done to them, against such there is no cause of blame. The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice. For such there will be a penalty grievous (in the Hereafter). But indeed, if any show patience and forgive, that would truly be an affair of great resolution. Qur'an 42:40-43
Goodness and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better. Then that person with whom there was hatred, may become your intimate friend! And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but people of the greatest good fortune. Qur'an 41:34-35"
It is also explained the Qur'an must be taken as a whole and understood in the context of its times. Interestingly, that is something most Biblical scholars would say about the Christian Bible as well. Sure, there are some bloodthirsty verses in both books, if you take them out of context; in fact, the Qur'an and Bible share many of the same books and stories, so that is not surprising.
This fear of Islam seems to be coming here from Europe, where the Muslim communities are much more widespread and evident in day-to-day life. Some countries are outlawing certain symbols of Muslim religious belief, thinking that by doing so they will send a message or quell the growth of Islam. For instance, Sweden banned the building of any more minarets in their country at the end of last year.
As the article linked above points out, this is symbolic of the deeper rifts within Islam itself.
"But Syria's struggle with Islamists and visible symbols of Islam is part of a wider clash, a clash within Islam itself. Political Islam is gaining ground across both the Arab world and Muslim-majority countries. What happens in this debate matters profoundly, because the same debate is taking place within Muslim communities in the west.
The debate, crudely put, is over the space between the personal and the political. Secular-minded governments have tried to keep faith out of state institutions; Islamists want their faith to guide those institutions. Personal space has also increasingly been politicised, with a rise in the wearing of the headscarf and the veil in Syria and in most Muslim-majority countries.
For the Syrian government this increased religiosity is a serious challenge to its secular, authoritarian rule. Those who look to faith to guide their lives want it to guide their leaders too. Islamists comprise the main opposition in the region: if there were free and fair elections tomorrow, the Islamists would win."
The article goes on to say:
"This is a complex, unfolding argument, with deep roots, but it is one we are scarcely attentive to in the west. Yet it matters, because the same currents affect Muslim communities in Europe and North America. What shape Islam in the west takes, how liberal, how participative, how beholden to faith identity Muslim communities become will be affected by this debate. (And not only Muslim communities: a rise in faith identity will be felt across the political spectrum.)"
How effective is it for any country to ban the wearing of a certain religious symbol in order to try to contain the power of that movement? Not very, in my opinion. Usually banning something just makes those who support it want to do it more and to strengthen the opposition to the law.
And, in an ethical sense, how can any country in all good conscience ban something that is part of a person's religion? How would this differ from banning Jewish men from wearing a yarmulke? Of course, in France, they already did that as part of a ban on any religious symbols being worn in schools. Here we wouldn't do it, so I hope the United States would never consider a ban on wearing the veil. Here's a test to anyone who thinks we should: Would you forbid nuns from wearing habits?
So, back to my original question: Islam: True Threat or Right-Wing Bogeyman?
From what I have read, it seems that most Muslims are indeed peace-loving and their beliefs are not all that different from Christians in terms of how to treat other people. However, some factions of Islam are definitely misusing their religion to resort to gaining political power through violence, and to such a degree that even countries like Syria and Egypt are concerned.
However, my main conclusion is, yes, there may be a threat from the politically-driven Muslim extremists, but certainly not from Muslims as a whole. And some of those who are suicide-bombers are troubled people who used Islam as an excuse to blow things up, much as Timothy McVeigh used Waco as an excuse to blow up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City when he obviously had other issues as well.
In the linked article, Robert Pape of the University of Chicago states:
"I've studied 462 suicide terrorists from around the world since 1980 who actually completed the mission. Over half are secular. The world leader is the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka: A Marxist group, a secular group, a Hindu group.
Instead of religion, what over 95 percent of all suicide terrorist attacks since 1980, all around the world have in common is a specific strategic goal, to compel modern democracies to withdraw combat forces from territory the terrorists prize greatly.
The Jordanian attack that we have just witnessed is a prime example of this strategy logic. Here we have four Iraqis leave Iraq in order to attack western targets that Zarqawi's group described as the rear base camp of the American army in Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula."
My take on the whole controversy is that here in America, as long as we keep separation of church and state at its current (already too fuzzy) level, it is unlikely that Muslims will impose Sharia Law on the U.S. Our Constitution would prohibit that. Therefore, it is unlikely that we will become a Muslim nation any time soon. That said, I think we will be subject to occasional terrorist attacks by both Muslims and non-Muslims. Most will be limited and hopefully thwarted.
Yes, it's a danger, but in a free country we cannot go around limiting the freedom of people just because they "refuse to assimilate." Haven't we heard this somewhere before? Oh yes, about the Hispanics. Oh, and the Germans, the Japanese, the Jews, the Irish, the Italians...in fact, any immigrant group that has come to the United States at any point in its history has been blamed for various ills of society.
Right now the bogeyman is Terrorism and the Muslims are getting the blame for it. The funny thing is, back when the IRA was blowing up the English right and left, and some Americans were funding them, there was no big backlash against the Irish in the United States just because some Irish people were blowing up innocent civilians. Why? Well, hey, the Irish Americans look and sound just like us! How could you blame them for what a few bad apples were doing? Or, you could just conclude that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom-fighter and maybe many Americans secretly - or not so secretly - supported the IRA's cause.
The Muslims have a harder row to hoe with the U.S. citizenry, much like the Japanese during WW II. Many of them don't look like us, some of them don't speak English, and they're easy to identify and blame for stuff.
The solution to the problem? Communication and understanding between people. So go ahead and build that mosque and community center near Ground Zero. Maybe some non-Muslims will go in there and actually get to know some Muslims and we will be one step closer to peace.
Pitts points out that that our "blanket antipathy" to Islam and Muslims is "...antithetical to what we claim to believe as Americans. How shameful was it that candidate Obama had to keep reassuring voters he wasn't a Muslim, and that no one - not the candidate, not the pundits - thought to say the obvious: What if he was?
Are Muslims not Americans, too? Is that what we're saying now?
Yes, I fear terrorism. But I find I fear even more what my country has become in response to it...
So yes, putting that building in that place might be painful and provocative, but it would also be a reminder of the very values the terrorists sought to kill.
And we seem to need that reminder more every day.
They want to build a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero? Let them."
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.
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.
First of all, let me thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all of your notes of sympathy about my mom. I really appreciated it, and it definitely helped me through this difficult time.
During the last couple of weeks I have been lost in the Facebook world playing interminable games of Bouncing Balls and my latest addiction, Pool Practice. Yes, pool, as in billiards. It's a great FB game that actually allows you to practice all your best shots. And it must work well, because I am lousy at the exact same shots online as I am in the real world. Those corner pockets get me every time; but I'm a whiz on the side ones!
I guess playing these online games is a way to procrastinate and avoid cleaning out my mother's apartment. I have done very little so far, and as a result had to pay the rent for the month of July, since June is now over without progress being made. I really must get it cleaned out this month. I did manage to wash some laundry and throw out some food and other stuff but there is still a lot to do.
I seem to be lost in the doldrums. I'm not sure if it's the heat that is now upon us, or the aftermath of my mother's death, but I am lacking in motivation these days.
Then today I learned some more sad news: Marie from The Attentive Aphorist passed away over the weekend. She was a wonderful person and her voice will be sorely missed. Marie had been having health issues since last year but she had been doing better so I was shocked to hear the news. My deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends.
We're up at our cabin for a whole week, which is heaven compared to the 100 degree heat back home in New Jersey. Our place is at 1000 feet of elevation and there is a nice breeze here at the top of the hill, wafting through the quaking Aspens, Hemlocks, and oak trees that tower above the cabin. Before leaving New Jersey, we did go to the annual fireworks at our local county park on Friday night, so we got our dose of 4th of July before coming up here. We heard the fireworks going off last night in Ticonderoga but were too lazy to drive up and see them there. We did have a hot dog for lunch on the 4th, so that counts for something.
When I logged on today I realized that this is my 500th post since I started blogging in late 2006. I realize some people manage 500 posts in their first year, so I take no great pride in this achievement, but thought it was worth noting. I am sorry I am not coming up with something more brilliant for such a milestone, but it is what it is.
Now that we're up here, I'm hoping to take more time to visit everyone else's blogs, as the 3G MiFi connection here is not ideal for playing online games, which will leave me much more free time to actually read blogs, which is a much more constructive pursuit.
In my recent obsession with Facebook games, I haven't been paying that much attention to the news. Of course, Robert Byrd passed away at 92, the BP oil spill continues, and Congress grilled Kagan. But it all seems to be happening at a distance. I'm hoping when we get home Baxter will be able to catch me up with what's been going on as I'm sure he's been keeping track.
Speaking of Baxter, he is not very happy with the new addition to the family: my mother's cat, Zoe. We brought her over to our house a couple of weeks ago and settled her into the spare bedroom. Baxter is very jealous and anytime the door to that room is open he comes in and tries to eat her food and poke around. They have met up with each other a few times, which resulted in loud hissing on both sides. Also, she eats wet food and until now, Baxter had no interest in it. But all of a sudden he wants wet food too, since Zoe gets it!
So when we came up to the cabin on Saturday we decided to bring Zoe with us and leave Baxter home. He will be happier at home anyway, and we didn't want to leave her home locked up in the spare room. Please don't feel sorry for him. If he were here he'd be spending the whole week hiding under a bed anyway, as he did when we first brought him home.
As it turned out, bringing Zoe up here was the best decision we could have made. She was the perfect traveler and it turns out she loves it up here at the cabin. She has no fear whatsoever, and wanders at will throughout the place, jumping up on windowsills and looking outside. We brought a cage with us that used to belong to our previous dog, Alice, and Zoe is happily sitting out on the deck in the cage surveying the landscape as I write this. I wouldn't dare let her loose on the deck as she could easily jump over the edge and be lost in the woods instantly.
Unlike Baxter, Zoe was able to put the dog in her place immediately. Diva came over to sniff at her while she was in my lap and Zoe immediately let rip a mighty hiss, and smacked her on the left eyebrow. Diva now is afraid to walk anywhere near her, and the cat is now in charge. The ironic thing is that she weighs about 5 lbs. - about a quarter the size of Baxter - but she isn't afraid of anything. Baxter runs out of the room if the dog looks at him.
I'll try to post some pictures of her soon. In the meantime, I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.
