I was perusing the intertubes one day and ran across a couple of unrelated stories. Unrelated of course, until I let my twisted little mind go at them for a while and make a connection. Thought I would share it with you.
“Tom Rukavina, a longtime Democratic state legislator from northern Minnesota with a Buy-American philosophy, sponsored a bill enacted into law last year that requires flags sold in the Gopher State to be made domestically.”I guess I believe if anything should be made in this country, it's our flag," he said. His father was a U.S. soldier in Europe during World War II and his uncle was a Marine on Iwo Jima when the flag was raised over Mount Suribachi. “
At first I figured that this must mean that Mr. Rukavina has solved all of Minnesota’s problems and was moving on. You know no hunger, no homeless people there. Everyone has affordable health care. Best school system in the country. Banks are solvent. There are plenty of police and firefighters to protect the citizenry. Figured it was late on a Friday, thought he might make a law.
Then the article continued.
"People say it's a question of constitutionality," Mr. Rukavina said about some protests over his foreign-flag restriction. "You know what? I don't give a damn. It wasn't a patriotic thing so to speak. But it is one thing that I care about."
The ONE THING HE CARED ABOUT! Sorry homeless hungry people. Sorry sick people without healthcare. Sorry teachers and students and parents. Sorry police and firefighters. Mr. Rukavina doesn’t care about you. He is much too busy attacking our rights to free speech and commerce. You know, that stupid little thing we call the US CONSTITUTION and the BILL OF RIGHTS. Well at least this was being limited to a small part of the country, waaaaay up near the Canadian border. Or not…
Further in the article, it continued to assail me. “Trade laws require products sold in the United States to state the country of origin, she said. Some states have taken action. Minnesota enacted a law in 2007 requiring that any U.S. flags sold in the state be made in America. New Jersey is considering a law requiring that flags bought with state funds be domestically made. One of the bigger buyers of Stars and Stripes is the U.S. government, which has laws requiring that flags used by federal agencies and departments be made in the United States.”
Ok, so as Arlo Guthrie has said, if one person does something they may think he's really sick.And if three people do it, they may think it's an organization. And can you imagine fifty people doing something; they may think it's a movement. It is the “OUR FLAGS MUST BE MADE IN THE UNITED STATES!” movement. Plus, we can import Chinese toys with lead paint and Chinese chocolate made with tainted milk, but no flags dammit. That crosses the line.
Give me a break.
This logic was making me nuts so I continued to surf the interweb and imagine my shock when I saw this from Bloomberg, the financial news service. It was reporting “Morgan Stanley, the second-biggest independent U.S. securities firm, may sell a larger stake to China Investment Corp. and is in talks about a possible merger with Wachovia Corp., a person familiar with the matter said. China's state-controlled fund may buy as much as 49 percent of the New York-based investment bank, said the person, who declined to be identified because the talks aren't public and may end in no agreement. Morgan Stanley resumed its decline on the New York Stock Exchange, falling as much as 22 percent.”
So let me get this all straight. Several state legislatures and the federal government worry about us buying US flags made in China, while we bring in billions of dollars in tainted product and China is planning to buy 49% of Morgan Stanley.
We get our flags made in the good ol’ US of A, we get toys and chocolate we have to throw away, and they get our home mortgages, IRA’a and retirement accounts.
Expect to get evicted people, we deserve it…
September 30, 2008
September 28, 2008
"Don’t we have that Hurricane response plan down yet?"
I heard a rumor recently that there were Hurricane Ike relief supplies sitting on trucks waiting to be delivered more than a week after the catastrophic wind event. (How is that for Orwellian Newspeak?) I understood that FEMA was paying the drivers some $800 a day to idle in their trucks waiting for directions of where to go and who to supply. So I jumped on the intertubes to see what the Google had to say about this. In two separate news articles from local newspapers, this is what I found:
“HOUSTON -- As recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast slowly expanded Wednesday, local leaders and federal officials resolved their spat over logistical tie-ups that kept thousands of residents from getting food and supplies from government aid stations. Earlier in the week, a federal employee sent away a supply truck that arrived late in the day at one Harris County distribution center, citing concerns about leaving the goods unguarded overnight. At other centers, crowds stood in line for hours, only to learn that there were no supplies.”
And:
“In Houston, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff met with local officials and promised to deal with the problems of supply distribution. A clearly frustrated Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett took over the logistics operations Tuesday. They opened extra centers and ordered supply trucks to drive through the night so that supplies would be available at daybreak to the region's hardest-hit areas.”
Houston we have a problem. Gulf Coast, we have a problem. Ray Nagin and Bill Chertoff, we have a problem.
I don’t know about you, but after I do something a few times, I start to get the hang of how to do it. Start to develop a real skill at managing things. When MillieJupiter and Booth Boy were small, we had a double blizzard – like 45 inches of snow in 5 days with the second storm knocking out power for 6 days. No power, no heat, no showers, no water, no food storage, no electric stove, oven or toaster. We were unprepared. Had to dig the cordwood out of the snow. Had to melt snow on wood stove in a bucket to flush the toilets, Had to warm food and cook on top of a small wood stove. Had to huddle around said stove to stay somewhat warm. We learned a valuable lesson – have wood, have water in the tub, have access to stored food and coolers to keep food in. Keep those candles, matches and flashlights handy. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…
Well, it would seem that we have had to call on FEMA quite a lot in the last couple or three hurricane seasons, for multiple incidents. After all these storms we are getting good at planning, prepping and delivering right? After Katrina and Wilma and Ike and Gustav and Rita, we have this relief thing down right? Surely after Hurricane Andrew we had begun to figure it out.
But they don’t seem to have the whole planning thing down yet. At least not if we have supplies sitting in trucks or have trucks being turned away while people are in need of these basics.
My friend Maqz quoted Ray Nagin after the last hurricane slapped New Orleans around a bit a few weeks ago. A couple of barges that were not secured got loose in the harbor and threatened to hit and maybe destroy a couple of levees that were protecting the city. His response to reporter’s questions about the incident – “We’ll have to make a note about that for next time.” Dude, this is like the third one to hit you guys in like the last 5 years. Make a list – fill tubs with water, check. Look at levees to make sure they are secure, check. Pick up some extra food and snacks and candles and batteries and drinking water, check, check, check, check and check. TIE UP THE GODDAM BOATS AND BARGES! Check.
Thanks.
“HOUSTON -- As recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast slowly expanded Wednesday, local leaders and federal officials resolved their spat over logistical tie-ups that kept thousands of residents from getting food and supplies from government aid stations. Earlier in the week, a federal employee sent away a supply truck that arrived late in the day at one Harris County distribution center, citing concerns about leaving the goods unguarded overnight. At other centers, crowds stood in line for hours, only to learn that there were no supplies.”
And:
“In Houston, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff met with local officials and promised to deal with the problems of supply distribution. A clearly frustrated Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett took over the logistics operations Tuesday. They opened extra centers and ordered supply trucks to drive through the night so that supplies would be available at daybreak to the region's hardest-hit areas.”
Houston we have a problem. Gulf Coast, we have a problem. Ray Nagin and Bill Chertoff, we have a problem.
I don’t know about you, but after I do something a few times, I start to get the hang of how to do it. Start to develop a real skill at managing things. When MillieJupiter and Booth Boy were small, we had a double blizzard – like 45 inches of snow in 5 days with the second storm knocking out power for 6 days. No power, no heat, no showers, no water, no food storage, no electric stove, oven or toaster. We were unprepared. Had to dig the cordwood out of the snow. Had to melt snow on wood stove in a bucket to flush the toilets, Had to warm food and cook on top of a small wood stove. Had to huddle around said stove to stay somewhat warm. We learned a valuable lesson – have wood, have water in the tub, have access to stored food and coolers to keep food in. Keep those candles, matches and flashlights handy. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…
Well, it would seem that we have had to call on FEMA quite a lot in the last couple or three hurricane seasons, for multiple incidents. After all these storms we are getting good at planning, prepping and delivering right? After Katrina and Wilma and Ike and Gustav and Rita, we have this relief thing down right? Surely after Hurricane Andrew we had begun to figure it out.
But they don’t seem to have the whole planning thing down yet. At least not if we have supplies sitting in trucks or have trucks being turned away while people are in need of these basics.
My friend Maqz quoted Ray Nagin after the last hurricane slapped New Orleans around a bit a few weeks ago. A couple of barges that were not secured got loose in the harbor and threatened to hit and maybe destroy a couple of levees that were protecting the city. His response to reporter’s questions about the incident – “We’ll have to make a note about that for next time.” Dude, this is like the third one to hit you guys in like the last 5 years. Make a list – fill tubs with water, check. Look at levees to make sure they are secure, check. Pick up some extra food and snacks and candles and batteries and drinking water, check, check, check, check and check. TIE UP THE GODDAM BOATS AND BARGES! Check.
Thanks.
September 25, 2008
"Lies, lies, damn lies..."
John McCain canceled a scheduled appearance on CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" mere hours before he was slated to tape the show Wednesday as part of the suspension of his campaign, MSNBC reported on air Wednesday afternoon. He told Letterman he couldn't be on because of the crisis, and that he was leaving immediately to race back to Washington to crisis manage. Letterman then did a live feed during the show showing that McCain was just in another studio in 30 Rock taping a "friendly" interview with Katie Couric. Just another lie. If you have 9 minutes, check out this video of part of the Letterman show. The Master at work…
Check out the Letter video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjkCrfylq-E
Check out the Letter video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjkCrfylq-E
September 22, 2008
"Racism at the very core?"
I just love those shows on the History Channel or NatGeo (sorry MJ, I like that moniker...) and Discovery. You know the ones; they have key words in their titles like Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon DNA, First Modern Man, Skulls and Fossils, Clovis points, and the like. MillieJupiter and I sit and watch them all. We watch dinosaur ones, archeology ones, anything involving digging up bones and fossils. I've noticed over the last several weeks there seems to be a predominance of shows about the Neanderthals. About their DNA. About them surviving despite the odds.
How could they have survived, they were physical brutes with small brains and lacked the ability to communicate. They were forced out by the smarter Homo sapiens who were traveling the land bridges and moving into all the inhabitable areas. At least this is what we learned in science and anthropology class. The Homo-sapiens had better tools, more social society, better skills. They were more like us.
But recently there seems to be a major change in thought about this group, a positive spin on them, not had before. Following is a quote from The Independent, a British newspaper published by Independent News & Media, a media organization based in Dublin, Ireland.
“Neanderthals were not as stupid as they have been portrayed, according to a study showing their stone tools were just as good as those made by the early ancestors of modern humans, Homo sapiens. Scientists who spent years learning how to make replicas of the stone instruments used by Neanderthals and Homo sapiens have found the Neanderthal tools were just as efficient as anything made by Stone Age man. And researchers believe that the demise of the Neanderthals – which has often been explained by the supposed inferiority of their technology – could not have come about solely as a result of their stone tools being worse than those of their rivals. "Our research disputes a major pillar holding up the long-held assumption that Homo sapiens were more advanced than Neanderthals. It is time for archaeologists to start searching for other reasons why Neanderthals became extinct," said Metin Eren, a graduate student at Exeter University. "Technologically speaking, there is no clear advantage of one tool over the other. When we think of Neanderthals, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
That last sentence says it all – “we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'." Could this be the earliest form of racism? Believing that the Neanderthals were somehow less human. They were stupid, would not be able to survive? Were our anthropologists and archeologists closet racists?
If you change the word Neanderthal in that last sentence and substitute any one of multiple races that have faced the sting of racism in their life, don’t we have a plea for accepting diversity, for understanding and accepting others, for (cue the music…) that Pepsi moment when we teach the world to live in perfect harmony. Try it:
When we think of African-Americans, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
When we think of Hispanics, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
When we think of South African blacks, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
When we think of Americans who live in the Deep South, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
Kind of interesting, don’t you think.
One final note about accepting diversity. When Ms. Fabulous and I went on our first cruise last spring we sat for our meals with four people from South Africa. White people from South Africa. It was a wonderful experience, filled with stories and laughs and positive feelings. Except for one thing. When they talked about the Blacks in their area, they were mostly negative thoughts. Words like lazy and doing nothing crept into their conversation. When I told my podcast partner Maqz, who calls it like he sees it, about this, he immediately branded it racism and reminded us of the Apartheid issues there.
Thanks Maqz.
How could they have survived, they were physical brutes with small brains and lacked the ability to communicate. They were forced out by the smarter Homo sapiens who were traveling the land bridges and moving into all the inhabitable areas. At least this is what we learned in science and anthropology class. The Homo-sapiens had better tools, more social society, better skills. They were more like us.
But recently there seems to be a major change in thought about this group, a positive spin on them, not had before. Following is a quote from The Independent, a British newspaper published by Independent News & Media, a media organization based in Dublin, Ireland.
“Neanderthals were not as stupid as they have been portrayed, according to a study showing their stone tools were just as good as those made by the early ancestors of modern humans, Homo sapiens. Scientists who spent years learning how to make replicas of the stone instruments used by Neanderthals and Homo sapiens have found the Neanderthal tools were just as efficient as anything made by Stone Age man. And researchers believe that the demise of the Neanderthals – which has often been explained by the supposed inferiority of their technology – could not have come about solely as a result of their stone tools being worse than those of their rivals. "Our research disputes a major pillar holding up the long-held assumption that Homo sapiens were more advanced than Neanderthals. It is time for archaeologists to start searching for other reasons why Neanderthals became extinct," said Metin Eren, a graduate student at Exeter University. "Technologically speaking, there is no clear advantage of one tool over the other. When we think of Neanderthals, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
That last sentence says it all – “we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'." Could this be the earliest form of racism? Believing that the Neanderthals were somehow less human. They were stupid, would not be able to survive? Were our anthropologists and archeologists closet racists?
If you change the word Neanderthal in that last sentence and substitute any one of multiple races that have faced the sting of racism in their life, don’t we have a plea for accepting diversity, for understanding and accepting others, for (cue the music…) that Pepsi moment when we teach the world to live in perfect harmony. Try it:
When we think of African-Americans, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
When we think of Hispanics, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
When we think of South African blacks, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
When we think of Americans who live in the Deep South, we need to stop thinking in terms of 'stupid' or 'less advanced' but more in terms of 'different'."
Kind of interesting, don’t you think.
One final note about accepting diversity. When Ms. Fabulous and I went on our first cruise last spring we sat for our meals with four people from South Africa. White people from South Africa. It was a wonderful experience, filled with stories and laughs and positive feelings. Except for one thing. When they talked about the Blacks in their area, they were mostly negative thoughts. Words like lazy and doing nothing crept into their conversation. When I told my podcast partner Maqz, who calls it like he sees it, about this, he immediately branded it racism and reminded us of the Apartheid issues there.
Thanks Maqz.
September 19, 2008
"Should people who refuse to evacuate be held responsible for rescue efforts"
A hurricane is bearing down on the Gulf coast again. It has its sights set on Texas. Not to worry though because they are used to this sort of thing. Why New Orleans was just hit again last week and then there was Katrina such a short time ago. They are well practiced. Besides, The Federal Government is going to be on its best behavior. I mean, it’s the Republican National Convention time and after the debacle of Katrina and Louisiana. Bush 43, and the Cheney Gang certainly would not allow things to get out of hand again, would they? As the storm closes in on Galveston and Houston, the Feds and state leaders declare that a MANDATORY EVACUATION must take place. Over 2.3 million people must move inland and uptown and to all the far flung neighborhoods across the area. Good idea, good planning, way to look out for the people in this area. Much better than last time.
But there is a problem, there are lots of problems, but this is one to deal with in the future. Over 90 thousand people did not leave. They decided to ride out the storm, they are going to hunker down and face Ike with steely eyes and guns drawn. They are staying and there is nothing the town leaders can do about it. They have gathered the candles and extra blankets and the box of “Triscuits” and maybe some bottled water and extra batteries for the flashlight and radio and are getting ready. Some are seeing this as a party. Whoo hoo, here comes Ike! Lets Paaarty!
Except, the storm is worse that anticipated and the computer model tracks are off a bit and suddenly people are in more danger than they might have thought. The flood waters are rising, the lights are out and people are facing “certain death.”
Then we see the real heroes, the coast guard and police and fire departments and on and on and on. They are out there picking up the victims, 10’s, hundreds, more than a thousand. People who WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED RESCUE IF THEY HAD LISTENED TO THE MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICES.
And who pays for all this stuff. I don’t mind my tax dollars going to provide food and water and shelter and medical supplies to the victims. BUT THEY DID NOT NEED TO BE A VICTIM IF THEY ONLY LISTENED TO THE MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE. Sure you were hunkered down in you basement protecting your property right up until you were flooded out, climbed onto the roof, were rescued by small boat or helicopter and then watched you home be relocated by the flood waters. How did that protecting your property go again?
Do any of you realize the costs of those unnecessary rescues? Coast Guard C-130 aircraft flying in supplies cost about $4,244 an hour to operate, Coast Guard helicopters cost about $4,400 an hour, Coast Guard cutters cost about $1,550 an hour to operate and Coast Guard small boats also cost between $300 to $400 an hour to run. What a drain on the small municipal budgets and taxpayers!
So, I guess my question in this matter is should the people who refused to leave under the mandatory evacuations be held somewhat responsible for the costs of the rescue efforts? Now, in this question I am not talking about people who were caught unaware when the storm worsened or took a turn off the expected course. I am talking about those who IGNORED THE MANDATORY EVACUATION. And, this concept is not new.
Many, many municipalities have gone to charging for rescue and medical attention. The Rocky Mountain News ran a recent article that stated that “a Kansas hiker who dislocated his ankle climbing in Jefferson County, Colorado was due to receive a bill for $5,000 for his rescue…apparently the city of Golden provided rescue services in response to a call from the county, and officials did not feel that the taxpayers should have to pay the cost, mostly overtime, for a rescue out of the district. In times of tight budgets, the cost of rescue operations for recreational hiking has been a difficult question for governments in mountainous areas.” It continued “The American Alpine Club offers rescue insurance to members which cover peaks up to 8000 meters, with supplemental insurance available above that. Some locations around the world have instituted advance rescue fees and/or are considering mandatory rescue insurance.” There are charges now days for ambulance runs and medical technicians too.
I am not sure how to go about the charging people, and I understand that many times it seems we are talking about the poorest people who do not have a way to leave an area. However that is not always the case. My first thought would be to attach any tax return money due up to a certain amount. That way it would only affect those who make enough to pay taxes. That is for a different blog entry. My point is just that in this litigious society that we live in, responsibility is a two way street. It is time to step up and have people consider the responsibilities they have.
In discussing this issue on the podcast last night, Maqz raised an interesting point. How do people feel if someone ignored the MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE, needed rescue and during the rescue, a firefighter or policeman or coast guard grunt was severely injured or maybe dies? Left behind a wife and several small children. A life wasted all because you felt a need to ignore the order and stay in the path of the storm.
People, be responsible!
(To listen to Maqz and the Fabulous Penguin discuss this issue on Countless Screaming Argonauts, the Podcast, go to www.csapodcast.blogspot.com and check out Episode 56…)
But there is a problem, there are lots of problems, but this is one to deal with in the future. Over 90 thousand people did not leave. They decided to ride out the storm, they are going to hunker down and face Ike with steely eyes and guns drawn. They are staying and there is nothing the town leaders can do about it. They have gathered the candles and extra blankets and the box of “Triscuits” and maybe some bottled water and extra batteries for the flashlight and radio and are getting ready. Some are seeing this as a party. Whoo hoo, here comes Ike! Lets Paaarty!
Except, the storm is worse that anticipated and the computer model tracks are off a bit and suddenly people are in more danger than they might have thought. The flood waters are rising, the lights are out and people are facing “certain death.”
Then we see the real heroes, the coast guard and police and fire departments and on and on and on. They are out there picking up the victims, 10’s, hundreds, more than a thousand. People who WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED RESCUE IF THEY HAD LISTENED TO THE MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICES.
And who pays for all this stuff. I don’t mind my tax dollars going to provide food and water and shelter and medical supplies to the victims. BUT THEY DID NOT NEED TO BE A VICTIM IF THEY ONLY LISTENED TO THE MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE. Sure you were hunkered down in you basement protecting your property right up until you were flooded out, climbed onto the roof, were rescued by small boat or helicopter and then watched you home be relocated by the flood waters. How did that protecting your property go again?
Do any of you realize the costs of those unnecessary rescues? Coast Guard C-130 aircraft flying in supplies cost about $4,244 an hour to operate, Coast Guard helicopters cost about $4,400 an hour, Coast Guard cutters cost about $1,550 an hour to operate and Coast Guard small boats also cost between $300 to $400 an hour to run. What a drain on the small municipal budgets and taxpayers!
So, I guess my question in this matter is should the people who refused to leave under the mandatory evacuations be held somewhat responsible for the costs of the rescue efforts? Now, in this question I am not talking about people who were caught unaware when the storm worsened or took a turn off the expected course. I am talking about those who IGNORED THE MANDATORY EVACUATION. And, this concept is not new.
Many, many municipalities have gone to charging for rescue and medical attention. The Rocky Mountain News ran a recent article that stated that “a Kansas hiker who dislocated his ankle climbing in Jefferson County, Colorado was due to receive a bill for $5,000 for his rescue…apparently the city of Golden provided rescue services in response to a call from the county, and officials did not feel that the taxpayers should have to pay the cost, mostly overtime, for a rescue out of the district. In times of tight budgets, the cost of rescue operations for recreational hiking has been a difficult question for governments in mountainous areas.” It continued “The American Alpine Club offers rescue insurance to members which cover peaks up to 8000 meters, with supplemental insurance available above that. Some locations around the world have instituted advance rescue fees and/or are considering mandatory rescue insurance.” There are charges now days for ambulance runs and medical technicians too.
I am not sure how to go about the charging people, and I understand that many times it seems we are talking about the poorest people who do not have a way to leave an area. However that is not always the case. My first thought would be to attach any tax return money due up to a certain amount. That way it would only affect those who make enough to pay taxes. That is for a different blog entry. My point is just that in this litigious society that we live in, responsibility is a two way street. It is time to step up and have people consider the responsibilities they have.
In discussing this issue on the podcast last night, Maqz raised an interesting point. How do people feel if someone ignored the MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE, needed rescue and during the rescue, a firefighter or policeman or coast guard grunt was severely injured or maybe dies? Left behind a wife and several small children. A life wasted all because you felt a need to ignore the order and stay in the path of the storm.
People, be responsible!
(To listen to Maqz and the Fabulous Penguin discuss this issue on Countless Screaming Argonauts, the Podcast, go to www.csapodcast.blogspot.com and check out Episode 56…)
September 16, 2008
"Cat-alogue Part 2"
Mitty’s first kitten had a traumatic birth experience. Mitty slipped out of the house early in the morning and no one was home all day. When Ms. Fabulous returned from work Mitty came running up and deposited one little black bundle on the doorstep. It was a kitten in distress, birth sack still over its head. One panicky vet stop later we were the proud keepers of an all black kitten. MillieJupiter named him “Black Coat”, what else? We called him BC for short. He was nothing like the other cats that had been with us. His fur was rough. He had a blank look in eyes, never seemed to understand anything. We used a spray bottle with water to keep the cats off the table and prevent furniture from being scratched. BC thought he was getting a shower. In the kitty job game we played, BC was a gym teacher.
Mittens had 2 other litters, a total of 5 kittens and MillieJupiter and a young Booth Boy enjoyed the growing up process of all of them. They went to good homes and after they were gone we lamented that we missed the kitten experienced. Mitty was fixed so she was no help but a neighbor had a cat with kittens and MillieJupiter had one all picked out.
Indy was a long haired cat with some coon cat mixed in. We got him the day of the Indianapolis 500, hence the name Indy. He was by far the smartest cat we had ever had. He learned to give kisses and effectively avoided the other two cats we had. It seems like we only had him a few months but his disappearance still affects most of us.
We had a storm, wind and rain and a pine tree fell across our driveway. When I returned from work that afternoon, I got out the chainsaw to cut it into pieces so that we could use the driveway again. As I was cutting, Indy was sunning himself on a rock wall by the drive. He got up went up the stone stairs, headed I figured to get in the house. We never saw him again. MillieJupiter called his name each morning and afternoon and evening for days but he never returned.
So it was Mitty and BC alone together for a long time. Mitty got all the attention and always wanted more. She would sit on the book you were reading, cover the keyboard of the laptop and look at you with an imploring gaze, “pay attention to me.”
We got a call, during the Christmas holidays of the new millennium. Friends had a stray kitten staying near their house. It was icy and cold and they were feeding it despite the father’s telling them not to and they were taking it into their house on very cold days despite the father’s severe allergies. What’s a bit of sneezing among family? We talked over if we wanted another cat and MillieJupiter and Booth Boy cried about how unfair it would be to Mitty and BC to bring in another cat. So we went on a holiday visit, just to see the kitten. MJ and BB fell in love the minute they saw her. She was a frail looking but healthy grey tiger striped cat. She would climb up on the window sill of our friend’s house and watch them eat dinner, talk about your guilt trips. We ended up taking her home, named her Millie after the millennium and she moved in. She was our first stray.
Mitty hated her because she got so much of HER attention. BC ignored her because he ignored everyone. She hid under Booth Boy’s bed her first night but soon was a happy, playful part of the family. She took a page out of the Mitty school of attention, climbing onto book, magazines and desktop computers with abandon in search of the behind the ears scratch.
She became MillieJupiter’s cat. Slept with her most nights and got terribly depressed when MJ went away to college. When she came home for visits and vacations, Millie ignored her for a couple of days to teach her a lesson but soon they were best pals again. Such was cat life in the wilds of Massachusetts until a new visitor came to stay.
To be continued...
Mittens had 2 other litters, a total of 5 kittens and MillieJupiter and a young Booth Boy enjoyed the growing up process of all of them. They went to good homes and after they were gone we lamented that we missed the kitten experienced. Mitty was fixed so she was no help but a neighbor had a cat with kittens and MillieJupiter had one all picked out.
Indy was a long haired cat with some coon cat mixed in. We got him the day of the Indianapolis 500, hence the name Indy. He was by far the smartest cat we had ever had. He learned to give kisses and effectively avoided the other two cats we had. It seems like we only had him a few months but his disappearance still affects most of us.
We had a storm, wind and rain and a pine tree fell across our driveway. When I returned from work that afternoon, I got out the chainsaw to cut it into pieces so that we could use the driveway again. As I was cutting, Indy was sunning himself on a rock wall by the drive. He got up went up the stone stairs, headed I figured to get in the house. We never saw him again. MillieJupiter called his name each morning and afternoon and evening for days but he never returned.
So it was Mitty and BC alone together for a long time. Mitty got all the attention and always wanted more. She would sit on the book you were reading, cover the keyboard of the laptop and look at you with an imploring gaze, “pay attention to me.”
We got a call, during the Christmas holidays of the new millennium. Friends had a stray kitten staying near their house. It was icy and cold and they were feeding it despite the father’s telling them not to and they were taking it into their house on very cold days despite the father’s severe allergies. What’s a bit of sneezing among family? We talked over if we wanted another cat and MillieJupiter and Booth Boy cried about how unfair it would be to Mitty and BC to bring in another cat. So we went on a holiday visit, just to see the kitten. MJ and BB fell in love the minute they saw her. She was a frail looking but healthy grey tiger striped cat. She would climb up on the window sill of our friend’s house and watch them eat dinner, talk about your guilt trips. We ended up taking her home, named her Millie after the millennium and she moved in. She was our first stray.
Mitty hated her because she got so much of HER attention. BC ignored her because he ignored everyone. She hid under Booth Boy’s bed her first night but soon was a happy, playful part of the family. She took a page out of the Mitty school of attention, climbing onto book, magazines and desktop computers with abandon in search of the behind the ears scratch.
She became MillieJupiter’s cat. Slept with her most nights and got terribly depressed when MJ went away to college. When she came home for visits and vacations, Millie ignored her for a couple of days to teach her a lesson but soon they were best pals again. Such was cat life in the wilds of Massachusetts until a new visitor came to stay.
To be continued...
September 11, 2008
"And now for something completely different..."
Booth Boy is my college bound son. He got his moniker as the production master of the Countless Screaming Argonauts Podcast, when he had time and we were relevant to his learning production skillz. . He has now moved on and has started his own video podcast:
http://1amdoyouknow.blogspot.com/
Its raw and interesting and reflects the early stages of college life.
Maqz is my podcast partner in the CSA production. He is funny and smart, smart, smart. He did a parody of the Booth Boy production. Check this out too:
http://www.8minutesonhigh.com/mile/?p=1237
Hope you enjoy. If you have a few minutes and want to read more of Maqz, check out this link too:
http://www.8minutesonhigh.com/mile/
Maqz's Blog
http://1amdoyouknow.blogspot.com/
Its raw and interesting and reflects the early stages of college life.
Maqz is my podcast partner in the CSA production. He is funny and smart, smart, smart. He did a parody of the Booth Boy production. Check this out too:
http://www.8minutesonhigh.com/mile/?p=1237
Hope you enjoy. If you have a few minutes and want to read more of Maqz, check out this link too:
http://www.8minutesonhigh.com/mile/
Maqz's Blog
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