Well, I have been "threatening" to do this for a while now. Today, it comes true. Yes, this post is about my cats. And, yes, all of them are "PC". In their case "PC" means they are "pesky critters", and for cats, that is normal. If there IS a normal for cats.
Might as well start at the beginning of the current cat crew who inhabit the house with me.
About a year ago, mam cat, now called Buttercup, appeared in the yard. I had seen her a time or two, when one day she came close to me. It was obvious that she had been someones house cat before as she wasn't really afraid of me. (Not an easy thing to do for cats or humans.) I got her some food, as I had had cats before and just lost the last of my "California cats" at the age of 15 a few weeks before plus the little dog, Beau, only eats cat food since Miss Peach and Little Bits entered his life, I had enough for this "new" cat as well. She ate it quite fast and looked at me to say, "Got any more of that?". Well, of course I fed her more. Then she went off towards the woods to the Northwest of the house. A few hours later, she returned. Aha, more food. This continued for a few days, then one day as I was going in to get her some food, she followed me inside. OK, I thought, this might work. She stayed about 30 minutes and let me pet her, which she really liked. Then off she went. A few hours she was back and we repeated the last visit. Just about dusk, she left again and didn't return until morning. This went on for about a week. One morning as I was going to the mail box, I noticed two small orange blurs on the porch. As I came back with the mail, there they all were, mama and two small kittens. So, she had suckered me! Hit me up for food and some attention to decide if I was OK for her kids! Well, she and her kids moved in. Guess I have a soft spot for cats.
Before I could get her to the vet to have her spayed, she was pregnant again, and had four kittens, all girls.
Well, as soon as she had weaned them, off to the vet we went. Now she had had the last set of four out in the woods again and I didn't know exactly how old they were. I tried to figure as close as possible, but, two of them ended up pregnant before I knew what was going on. I tend to be rather slow some days, old age getting me I suppose.
Well Foxie had two kittens on 14 March. One of them died within 24 hours though.
A few days later, Gracie, one of the four girls, died. I think and the vet agreed, that she must have had some sort of birth defect. We tried all we could to save her, but, no dice.
On 25 March, Miss Loxie had five kittens! Now I have Beau and 12 cats to keep me company. Or rather to make sure that I don't get much peace and quiet. LOL!
Miss Patches has been to the vet and has been spayed. Her sisters were going as well before I realized they were pregnant. They shall go as soon as they wean the kittens.
The oldest "baby", Foxie's only survivor, is five weeks old yesterday. He/she is really scooting along now. Very playful and extremely curious. A bundle of energy and even likes being near me. Imagine that! The others are closing in on four weeks this coming Tuesday. Time flies when you're having fun.
The most interesting thing about this whole "family" is the way the two girls have interacted with the babies. I had made a nice box for each of them and they were very happy with that arraignment for a week or two. One day, Foxie had moved her kitten to another box, so I placed her cushion and towel in it and she was set. A few days later, I went to look in on Loxie and hes kids. They weren't in their box! They had moved in with Foxie and the "scooter". Now that was OK by me and they all seemed happy, still are in fact. Well, it was their choice. I change the towel every day so it stays nice and fresh form all. But here is the really neat part, as far as I see it. Both mothers nurse all the babies. Loxie will nurse the "scooter", and Foxie nurses Loxies' babies. Right now, Loxie is nursing two of hers and the "scooter" while Foxie is nursing the other three. Sort of like "team mothering". I had never seen cats do this before and I think it is very neat of them to do this. It may not be all that unusual among sisters in the cat world, but I had never witnessed it before.
Critters, they are truly amazing. When you consider that tiger with the little pigs, well, it starts to make you wonder why people can't be more like that. We are supposedly the only animals who think about things, yet we can't seem to get along with those who are the least bit different from us. I think my "PC" cats could teach us all a few good lessons here.
Just my quarters worth on this subject. Next time you go anywhere, say "hello" to somebody who is "different" from you. Smile at people, watch their reactions. It just might start a new trend of civility in America, or any place else where you might live.
semper fi,charlie
19 April 2008
Double Standards and then some
I am not the first person to point out the double standard being applied regards Tibet and Palestine.
Both countries are being occupied by another country. Palestine has been occupied by Israel for 60 years now. Tibet has been occupied by China for 50 years.
Seeing as how the Palestinian occupation has gone on far longer, how is it that Tibet makes then news, but Palestine doesn't?
Could it be because Tibet has a Nobel Peace Prize winner? Well, Yassir Araft also won the Noble Peace Prize. That didn't seem to matter though. He died without being able to achieve peace with Israel.
Could it be that the Dalai Lama looks cool and wears that nice robe all the time? That he talks softly? The Palestinian leaders don't dress "cool", but they have spoken softly and of course quite loudly as well.
Could it be that Tibet is occupied by China, and that "we" are not quite friends with the Chinese? Why that is I have no idea. I mean, every time we shop, we probably buy something made in China. Try going to oh, say, Wal-Mart and not buying a made in China product. It can be done, but it takes some doing. I am not knocking Wal-Mart, they have prices that are affordable for the working people of America. And we all need to get as much "value" for our dollars as possible. That is, or at least was once, called "smart shopping".
China also holds right close to one trillion dollars of US debt. Yes sir, that is $1,000,000,000,000.00 in US Treasury notes. Now, if they were to, oh, say, change them for Euros, well, let's just say that our economy, such as it is, would be sunk. And damn fast too. Maybe we ought to try and stay on the "nice side" of China. Just for the sake of our old economy if for no other reason. Call it "self preservation". I call it being a good global neighbor, but who am I?
Is it just possible that the occupation of Palestine for the last 60 years doesn't get much "play" in the American media because Israel is our "ally"? Could it have anything to do with the lobby of all lobbies, AIPAC? That group (APIAC) does contribute a good deal of money to various political campaigns. Does money buy influence in America? Does a bear poop in the woods? Well, no, the bear poops in its hand and throws it into the woods. But that is another topic for another time. Maybe.
There is more public debate about the Israeli occupation of Palestine in Israel than there is here in America. There is more criticism of the Israeli government in Israel that is ever allowed in America? Why? Can you say AIPAC? Of course you can.
Now about now (if not sooner) some who are reading this (does anyone really read my stuff?) are saying, "OK, this charlie is an anti-Semite!". Sorry folks, I am NOT an anti-Semite. I AM an anti-Zionist though. Those ARE very different things, look it up if you don't believe me.
Not all Jews are Zionists. Not all Zionist are Jews either.
There are many very religious Jews who are anti-Zionist. They tend to get called "self hating Jews" by the Zionists. In America in particular, there are a large number of "Christian Zionists" as well. An example is the Rev. Hagee who has come out in support of good old John McCrazy for president. My personal opinion here, is that the "Christian Zionists" are more radical than the "Christian Fundamentalists" and that isn't easy to do. Some of those two groups do tend to overlap, but they are not necessarily the same thing.
The "Christian Zionists" also have monetary and political clout, not quite at the level of AIPAC, but getting close. Again, does money buy influence in America? Same reply again. America has the best government that money can buy, or so it seems.
Don't forget our "great" main stream media either. They follow the money also. It would seem that in America money DOES buy influence. Which could be a reason that the CEO's of hedge funds who make salaries in the billions, pay less taxes that their secretaries do. And they say that greed isn't good.
Fortunately the situation regards Palestine IS changing. There are a number of books, either out or due to be out soon, that detail the TRUTH about what went down in 1948 in Palestine. This will be a real eye opener for the vast majority of us all, not just Americans. It is way past time for this to happen, but at least it is finally happening. For that we can all be very thankful.
semper fi,
charlie
Both countries are being occupied by another country. Palestine has been occupied by Israel for 60 years now. Tibet has been occupied by China for 50 years.
Seeing as how the Palestinian occupation has gone on far longer, how is it that Tibet makes then news, but Palestine doesn't?
Could it be because Tibet has a Nobel Peace Prize winner? Well, Yassir Araft also won the Noble Peace Prize. That didn't seem to matter though. He died without being able to achieve peace with Israel.
Could it be that the Dalai Lama looks cool and wears that nice robe all the time? That he talks softly? The Palestinian leaders don't dress "cool", but they have spoken softly and of course quite loudly as well.
Could it be that Tibet is occupied by China, and that "we" are not quite friends with the Chinese? Why that is I have no idea. I mean, every time we shop, we probably buy something made in China. Try going to oh, say, Wal-Mart and not buying a made in China product. It can be done, but it takes some doing. I am not knocking Wal-Mart, they have prices that are affordable for the working people of America. And we all need to get as much "value" for our dollars as possible. That is, or at least was once, called "smart shopping".
China also holds right close to one trillion dollars of US debt. Yes sir, that is $1,000,000,000,000.00 in US Treasury notes. Now, if they were to, oh, say, change them for Euros, well, let's just say that our economy, such as it is, would be sunk. And damn fast too. Maybe we ought to try and stay on the "nice side" of China. Just for the sake of our old economy if for no other reason. Call it "self preservation". I call it being a good global neighbor, but who am I?
Is it just possible that the occupation of Palestine for the last 60 years doesn't get much "play" in the American media because Israel is our "ally"? Could it have anything to do with the lobby of all lobbies, AIPAC? That group (APIAC) does contribute a good deal of money to various political campaigns. Does money buy influence in America? Does a bear poop in the woods? Well, no, the bear poops in its hand and throws it into the woods. But that is another topic for another time. Maybe.
There is more public debate about the Israeli occupation of Palestine in Israel than there is here in America. There is more criticism of the Israeli government in Israel that is ever allowed in America? Why? Can you say AIPAC? Of course you can.
Now about now (if not sooner) some who are reading this (does anyone really read my stuff?) are saying, "OK, this charlie is an anti-Semite!". Sorry folks, I am NOT an anti-Semite. I AM an anti-Zionist though. Those ARE very different things, look it up if you don't believe me.
Not all Jews are Zionists. Not all Zionist are Jews either.
There are many very religious Jews who are anti-Zionist. They tend to get called "self hating Jews" by the Zionists. In America in particular, there are a large number of "Christian Zionists" as well. An example is the Rev. Hagee who has come out in support of good old John McCrazy for president. My personal opinion here, is that the "Christian Zionists" are more radical than the "Christian Fundamentalists" and that isn't easy to do. Some of those two groups do tend to overlap, but they are not necessarily the same thing.
The "Christian Zionists" also have monetary and political clout, not quite at the level of AIPAC, but getting close. Again, does money buy influence in America? Same reply again. America has the best government that money can buy, or so it seems.
Don't forget our "great" main stream media either. They follow the money also. It would seem that in America money DOES buy influence. Which could be a reason that the CEO's of hedge funds who make salaries in the billions, pay less taxes that their secretaries do. And they say that greed isn't good.
Fortunately the situation regards Palestine IS changing. There are a number of books, either out or due to be out soon, that detail the TRUTH about what went down in 1948 in Palestine. This will be a real eye opener for the vast majority of us all, not just Americans. It is way past time for this to happen, but at least it is finally happening. For that we can all be very thankful.
semper fi,
charlie