A Vote and A Trip

A few months back Mr. Pop was asked to give a give a talk at a professional environmental gathering that begins tomorrow. So we are off to vote today and then we’ll be heading over to Sarasota for the next few days. We’ll be home sometime Saturday.

Please keep me up to date on what I’ll be missing on the “inter tubes”. I won’t be online so all I’ll have for news is the MSM.

Tell me, if you watched the State of the Union Speech last night, what did you think? How much more damage can the president do in these last few miserable months he has in office?

Caroline Kennedy’s Words

I have always liked and admired Caroline Kennedy. Life has made her path difficult but she always comes through with grace.

Your probably know by now that yesterday in the New York Times, she endorsed Barack Obama.

You can read her whole piece here. Her closing words are beautiful.

“I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.”

Shopping, the New Panacea

Once again, this is just my feline point of view.

When the awfulness of 9-11 happened you folks were told the way for you to help was to “go shopping”.

Now your country is in a big financial mess and your government is going to give you money and they want you to take it and go shopping.

Jeez, is shopping the new answer to all American problems? I have a suggestion. Go shopping for an intelligent competent human being and elect that person as your president in November. The president you have now must have come from the reject bin in come cut-rate store. He’s an embarrassment to your species.

Have a great weekend and share some of your time with Mother Nature

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat who loves you guys)

Almost always looking backward

When Hurricane Katrina was looming near the gulf coast, all of us knew something bad was about to happen. We didn’t know how bad it would eventually turn out to be, but we knew it would be bad.

When we saw all the sub prime mortgages being handed out to people who couldn’t afford them, we knew something bad was going to happen. We didn’t know exactly how bad it would be, but we knew it would be bad.

In both the cases above we knew the danger was lurking but apparently the bush administration was either not caring or they were looking the other way. In both situations they did not act until the harm and destruction had been done.

Also in both these situations they noticed too little and too late. Was it incompetence or was it neglect? With Katrina it was incompetence on one level and lack of concern at a higher level. I would suggest the same thing happened with the financial debacle.

I find it strange that for almost seven years this administration has been looking ahead and constantly reminding us that another terror attack could occur as they took frightening measures to prevent such an event, yet they did not take any preventative measures to quickly react to other real and actual catastrophes.

It would seem they are viewing the world through a soda straw and seeing only what might be, instead of diligently seeing the larger and more realistic world of what is real and now.

I Gotcha Karma Right Here (continued)

Remember, we gave the clever gadget to our neighbor last Saturday night. Now the story continues on the following Monday morning.

Monday morning I awoke at three and I felt awful. Upset stomach, the whole deal. Since I knew Murphy would be awake soon, I just got out of bed and began the day in the middle of the night.

About four, Murphy woke up, so I took him outside on his leash. We were standing there in the dark while Murphy sniffed around. I noticed a car coming slowly down our street. As the car approached our house it slowed more and more. My nerves tightened up as the car slowed down. At this point Murphy was doing what he came out to do, so I couldn’t grab him and move to the front door.

The car turned into our driveway slowly and crept up to where Murphy and I were. I looked at the car. The car’s interior lights came on. Then I could see the driver was a woman. She rolled down the window of her car and said, “Good morning! I thought I would save you a trip”. Then she handed me my newspaper. It was our newspaper delivery lady.

Usually, she would place the paper in the special compartment in the mailbox. The mailbox is down by the road, but since she saw me standing there, in my nightgown, in the wee morning hours, waiting for my little dog, she made the effort to turn in the driveway and save me a trip to the mailbox. I thanked her profusely for her thoughtfulness.

Is there a connection between our gift to our neighbor and the paper lady’s kindness? I truly believe there is. I call that connection, Lady Karma and I love her.

I Gotcha Karma Right Here

Our neighbor, across the street, is in his mid eighties, but don’t tell him that. He does more in one day than most of the rest of us. He is the neighbor I rely on to feed Fred the Cat’s little feral cat friend, N-D Anna, when we are away. He is a major cat lover and has told us that feeding N-D Anna is a “privilege”.

With all this neighbor’s energy, he has a problem. He has a bad knee that causes him real problems when he kneels to pick up something. This is especially true when he goes out to pick up his newspaper from his driveway.

We have been trying to think of something we can give him as a gratitude present for caring for N-D Anna. He has gobs of money so he buys what he wants. When we were out shopping this past weekend we saw this gadget that allows you to pick up things without bending over. We happily bought it and brought it home.

Then we started to second guess ourselves. Our neighbor is a man of pride and we wondered if he would be offended that we had noticed his weakness. Casting our fate to the wind, Mr. Pop took the present over to give to the neighbor. Mr. Pop said it was received with great joy and many words of gratitude. In other words, we did a good thing.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the Karma.

It’s our decision to make

“We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.-

Another question from a lowly ex-stray cat

I’m just a lowly ex-stray cat so there are oodles of things I don’t know. Here’s one of the those things unknown to me. Why do Republicans have an elephant for their mascot? We have no elephants in this country. The only ones here are members of the zoo family or members of the circus family. Umm, wonder what message the Republicans are trying to send us when their mascot reminds us of zoos and circuses?

Have a great weekend and remember to make somebody smile

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat who loves you guys)

I should have known better

A little over two years ago, I borrowed a lot of money from a rather shady loan company. I knew they were shady, but I really needed the money. I have tried to pay it back but they keep increasing the interest on the loan. They nagged me mercilessly and even threatened me. In this day and age I figured I didn’t have to worry about the threats. I was so wrong.

A man showed up at my door yesterday and identified himself as being “a friend” of a friend of mine. Then he forced himself inside my house and proceeded to demand the entire amount I owed on the loan. I tried to explain to him that I didn’t have that kind of money to give him.

Next thing I knew he produced a billy club from his pocket and hit me on my left knee so hard that it made me see stars and collapse with the pain.

Okay, absolutely none of what I have just told you is true. But you have to admit, it’s a much more dramatic way to explain this giant dark blue bruise I have after I accidentally banged the hell out of my knee on my computer desk yesterday. Jeez, it hurt like hell. It was one of those pains that hurt so bad I didn’t even drop the F-bomb.

No, I’m not lame today. Walking doesn’t hurt at all. I may not be lame of leg, but I sure can be lame of mind and movement. Sometimes, I’m my own worst physical enemy.

***
On to an entirely different subject. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to eat someone’s science project.

Economic Faith

First the bush administration made it much more difficult for Americans to declare bankruptcy. Then they looked the other way while all sorts of magical home loans were eagerly given to millions of Americans. While bush crowed about home ownership being higher in the US than it had ever been before, something sinister was afoot.

Now all the magical loans have turned into demons for the economy. The stock market is bleeding daily. Citibank reported a loss yesterday of almost 10 billion dollars in the last quarter due to sub prime loans.

Many Americans may feel they have been caught in a trap. Fairly or unfairly, they have. The exit door to the trap was nailed shut with the change in bankruptcy laws. Cheap home mortgages were used as bait and millions of Americans walked right in to grab one. Slam, the door shut and they can’t escape. They are stuck with houses they can’t pay for, credit card bills that are demanding high interest rates and gasoline prices they never imagined. Plus the American dollar is anemic these days.

Is it any wonder Americans have no faith in the financial future of this country?

In Case you missed it

“The firefighting system in the massive $736 million embassy complex in Baghdad has potential safety problems that top U.S. officials dismissed in their rush to declare construction largely completed by the end of last year, according to internal State Department documents, e-mails and interviews.”

And then there’s this in the article

"This is serious enough to get someone killed," said a State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared retaliation. "The fire systems are the tip of the iceberg. That is the most visible. But no one has ever inspected the electrical system, the power plant" and other parts of the embassy complex, which will house more than 1,000 people and is vulnerable to mortar attacks.”

You can read the entire Washington Post article here. But I warn you, that little bit of hair you haven’t ripped out of your head yet, may be in danger. One more in the bush administration’s long chain of total screw ups.

Chalk one up for me!

The town I live in has contracted out to a firm to come around to clean out and trim the lined drainage ditches in front of all the homes. Even though Mr. Pop keeps our ditch clean and the grass on either side of it in manicured condition, the crew still works on it. (Job security?)

Last Friday, I could hear the crew coming down the street, working on the ditch in each yard. They have professional weed whackers, and professional leaf blowers, both of which make a hell of a noise. Then there are guys with shovels who scoop up any mud or gunk that has settled in the ditch.

Okay, they came and went and I forgot about them. Then about two o’clock in the afternoon I hooked up Murphy to his leash to take him outside. As we stepped out the front door, I saw something black and in globs all the hell over our driveway and on our white garage door. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was mud. The guys cleaning the ditch had somehow let their weed whackers get down in the mud in the ditch and the whacker had thrown mud all over the place. I couldn’t lead Murphy across the driveway to where he usually goes without he and I both stepping in the mess. I was livid.

I called the department at city hall that hired this company. I told them what had happened and someone must come and clean up this mess. They told me they had someone to do that but they would have to check their schedule to see what day they could come out. I explained that my schedule didn’t include having stinking mud all over my driveway and I would appreciate it if it was cleaned today. After some conversation and a face to face meeting at my front door, I was assured it would be cleaned before dark. I never became irate or ill spoken, but I stood my ground. The mess had to be cleaned up that day.

I still had my doubts but at 4:00pm a pressure cleaning company showed up and cleaned off every spot of mud. Plus they washed it into the grass at the end of the driveway so we wouldn’t track the muddy water inside the garage or the house.

So hey, I felt like I really had fought city hall, and damn it, I won. Feels good to win one once in a while. Real good!

Answer me this

Hey kids, if it’s Friday, you know you’re gonna hear from a black and white wise cat, as in wise guy, not Rhodes Scholar. Yeah me, Fred the Cat.

So I have a question for all you top of the food chain rascals. How does a man who invaded two countries and started two wars, neither of which is over, go to the middle east and demand the Israelis and the Palestinians make peace?

What standing does he have to try to broker peace. I thought I heard somewhere that he said he was “the war president” If you want to bring peace, wouldn’t you call yourself something else?

Yeah I know, he’s trying to create some sort of positive legacy for himself. But two wars do not make a legacy of peace.

Well, that’s my two feline cents on the subject.

Have a great weekend and don’t Bogart your catnip, share it with a pal.

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat who loves you guys)

Up to here with politics

I am absolutely politics weary. It’s time for me to let it rest for a while. Once all the dust has settled I’ll check in and see who is on first and if the bases are loaded.

So, I’m turning to a little problem that maybe you can help me with today.

For Christmas, among other things, a family member gave us a gift card for fifty dollars at Old Navy. I have no idea why this person picked that particular store because it is not one we ever visit. We did however go there last weekend to see what kind of clothes they sell. If I were a teenager or in my twenties I might find some of their clothes appealing, but I’m not.

So what to do with this card? I hate to toss away fifty dollars of the family member's hard earned money. So what do you think? What would you do?

Words that Had to Hurt

By now you have probably all heard that when President Bill Clinton was speaking to a crowd the other day he said he couldn’t make Hillary younger, taller, or a male.

I wonder if he has any idea how much that might have hurt her deep inside?

If Mr. Pop said something like that about me it would break my heart because I would hear him saying I wasn’t good enough the way I am. Just to hear your life companion say those things is so sad.

Maybe President Clinton was just making a political statement because Obama is all those things that Hillary isn’t, but still, it had to have been brutal for her to hear.

Is it any wonder that with all the stress and pressure she has been under for the last month and longer that she teared up the other night. I’m guessing Bill’s words didn’t make her feel any better.

And personally, as much as I admire President Clinton, I don’t think anyone is looking to him to make any candidate for us. Each candidate is his or her own person.

A New Time

When President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were elected, the baby boomers were elated. These were two pleasant guys, smart guys and they were one of them. They were baby boomers. The boomers were taking over the country with their own goals and ambitions. In their heart they thought they rocked the world with what their generation had produced.

Today things are different. Those rocking boomers are grey haired and older, sometimes it seems they are much much older. Much of their music is now elevator music. They find themselves turning to smooth jazz because frankly they just can’t work up an appetite for much of the “new” music.

Those mini skirts and sideburns don’t work for them any longer. Their figures have refigured themselves and underneath that hair coloring hides a lot of grey. They are still fired up but many of them have gotten where they were going.

This presidential election shows us something. While Bill Clinton was the baby boomers rock star, today there is a generation who is looking for their own rock star. The boomers had their turn and they had a hell of a lot of fun, but today it’s someone else’s turn.

Hillary can’t be the rock star her husband was with the booming rockers because those booming rockers are just about ready for some time in a rocking chair. The boomers rock, but let’s face it, so do others.

No wonder Obama is rocking the nation. He represents the generation that is where the baby boomers were sixteen years ago. This generation is old enough to take things like elections seriously. They are ready for someone to speak for them and see things the way they do.

So what do the aging boomers go when they enter the voting booth in November? Those crazy baby boomers who still believe in sex, drugs and rock and roll. Those crazy people who are so unpredictable. How will they vote? Hell, they have never done what they were told to do before, why would we start now?

Change, Experience and Snowmen

On the political scene we hear a lot about which candidate can bring about change and which candidate has experience. I think most of us want a change in experience. We don’t want the experience that we have seen in Washington these past seven years. We want someone who can change that experience in our minds and in our lives.

On a happier note, remember before Christmas I asked Santa to bring me a snowman for Christmas.

Well Santa let me down but Dguzman and Jazz did not. Click on their names and scroll up to see their cute little snow guys.

Thank you for your “cool” gifts, my sweet friends

Burr! Cold in Florida

Hey, Fred the Cat here. Folks, we live in Florida, south Florida that is, and yesterday morning when my paws hit the brick floor of the patio it was only thirty five degrees. Plus, the wind was howling . Burr, a Florida cat doesn’t care for that sort of weather. I felt like my whiskers were freezing along with other unmentionable parts of my body.

I think I may have set a feline land speed record as I raced to my litter box, used it and raced back to get inside the house. Pop had the nerve to laugh at me. Sure easy for her, her bathroom is nice and warm.

I’ll tell you how cold it was, Pop actually put on a pair of socks. You all know she is a true southern girl and detests wearing shoes. If she’s home, she is barefoot. When she takes Murphy out she might put on flip flops but that’s it unless she is going somewhere. When I saw the socks on her feet, only one thing came to my mind, attack them. I wrapped my front paws around one of them and just smoozed my head all over it. I think I fell in love. Is cat/sock love acceptable in today’s society?

Why is it that on a cold morning Pop has socks and fluffy warm robe, Murphy has a little warm coat, and I have to run around naked? Life seems a bit unfair sometimes. But on the other hand, neither Pop nor Murphy can appreciate the joy of curling up in a warm cat bed with a new toy mouse that’s filled with Cosmic catnip, on a cold Florida morning.

Have a great weekend and cuddle with someone you love.

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat who loves you guys)

Kucinich to Obama as Nader to Edwards

So Kucinich has sent a letter to Iowans to support Obama. Nader is throwing his support to Edwards. What the hell do you make of these two decisions?

I guess I can see why Nader would support Edwards since Edwards is railing against big corporations. But why would Kucinich, who is still a candidate himself ask Iowans to support Obama?

Thanks to Crooks and Liars for this link.

A Pattern for 2008?

My mom used to say that whatever you do on the first day of a new year, that’s what you will be doing all year long.

Okay, yesterday I watched the Rose Bowl parade, which always fascinates me. I watched some college football. Mr. Pop and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I roasted a turkey and made all kinds of side dishes. Then we popped open a bottle of champagne. Later I had a New Year’s Day martini in the new glass that Santa brought me.

Hey, I wouldn’t mind doing these sorts of things all year long.

Happy New Year!

So far this one looks an awful lot like the last year. Hopefully, before it’s over this one will look much, much better.

I have never thought about making predictions but this year I want to make a few. I predict we will see the democrats acquiesce to bush at least one more time. I also predict that one of the Republican candidates will say something so off the wall that we’ll know that person is indeed as crazy as a freakin’ loon. (No offense to loons intended)

And finally, I predict my head will explode if I hear one more talking head on TV gaming the outcome of the Iowa caucus. The only thing I want to hear about it is the final results.

Okay, it’s your turn. Look into that crystal ball you keep in your freezer beside the ice cream and tell me what you see in our future.