Sad start of the day for us. Troll cat passed away around 4:00 this morning. He’d been having a rough time lately and this morning I put him in bed with us and he died a few hours later. He was a good cat and a good companion to many people.
Our condolences. TC was a fine wee beastie; I know that you and Mrs. Sven were good to him, too. And he passed at home in the company of people who loved him.
Glad to see you dropped-by yesterday with updates; may the home improvements go as smoothly as those things ever go. đ
===========
Is this Black History Day or Groundhog Month?
*Schnort*
Aside from headlines, I’ve deliberately avoided reading anything about the Iowa caucuses. Because I profoundly loathe each and every one of those pretenders and it depresses the carp out of me that one of them will almost certainly be the next POTUS.
(It’ll be interesting -- in a Chinese curse sort of way -- to see what kind of shithole this country will eventually become.)
On a more positive note, here’s a couple of reasons I like dogs:
(Itâll be interesting — in a Chinese curse sort of way — to see what kind of shithole this country will eventually become.)
Which is pretty much one of the Top Three Reasons For Being EXTREMELY Grateful I Live in BFE.
I’ve gone from “the mouse that roared” to “I’ll be over here with the ‘Crunch N’ Munch” -- I’m spectating, ‘cuz there sure as sh1t ain’t anything I can do about this circus.
Granted, I’m on the Exec. Comm. of the two highest-ranking “R” orgs in the County … I just don’t have any free parts of my soul to sell to climb the ladder of policy-wonking.
Besides, SyFy’s “The Expanse” is really quite good; and now that I have a dedicated crafting spot, I’ve got tons of things to play with. So I can pretty-up my world and keep an eye on the ammo at the same time.
đ
Oh, and that thread pic got a hearty *snort* out of me.
Good morning, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, RabBiT, TeX, Fatwa, Sven, and Mac!
Sven -- please accept my heartfelt condolences. I know how much you cared for Troll cat by all the things you did to care for him. You gave him a good and loving home and were with him at the end.
TeX -- it’s more than sad that you can rise as high as you have in local politics and still not be able to exert much influence without compromising your values. It shows how large and unaccountable the two major parties have become. I hear pundits talk about reforming the Republican Party from within, rather than forming a new party, but I fear the former is too late and the latter will be a failure.
I parroted that to my friend in the Tea Party, and she’s running with it, bless her heart. And it’s from her my attitude is derived -- she’s quite excited by the places she’s getting invited to/into, but all I’m getting out of her stories is the sheer MASS of “it’s always been this way” that has to be overcome.
And there’s a very simple reason it’s such a challenge -- those of us who’d like to set things right have to work. That implacable, entrenched mass? Retired. All of them. Even my friend (air traffic controller -- 20yrs -- full pension).
I get emails from both orgs: “We’re having training in ‘X, Y, and Z’ on February 2nd. At noon. See you there!”
No, no you won’t. “Please volunteer your time Wednesday at three!” “See you at 2pm …”
Even if I worked at McDonald’s I’d have trouble scheduling in all this sh1t.
I agree that it’s (probably decades) too late to reform the GOP; ditto the Jackasses.
However, there seems to be a growing number of Americans who self-identify as independents, which I find encouraging. But it’s difficult at present to sell individual liberty combined with individual responsibility, which is where I’d like to see things headed.
I believe that’s a large -- but perhaps not insurmountable -- cultural problem more than anything else. I just don’t have any good ideas about how to fix it. đ
TeX -- no need to apologize for expressing your feelings and/or frustrations. For those of us who aren’t involved in the political machinery, it’s enlightening to know just what’s going on.
Fatwa -- it takes a certain level of maturity and moral growth to willingly accept personal responsibility when you don’t have to. I’m afraid that too many people haven’t grown up enough to want that.
That is what depresses me, the number of intelligent and supposedly educated people that think freedom and equality will be given to them by an all powerful ruler who is unaccountable to them if they just give him enough power over their lives and income. They just have to get their guy onto the throne of power and we will see the heavens open up and we will have utopia. Like the Lightbringer.
Well said, Mac. And that’s my fear with Trump and darn near everyone of these guys running. I don’t want someone who is going to “fix” the country and do good--I want someone that will follow the law and the Constitution and let us do the rest.
I never went to college but has there ever been a time when individual rights were respected by government when the people did not have the right and the power to slap the government around and bring them to heel?
âGuard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.â -- Patrick Henry, Virginia’s Ratification convention, 1788
“No man has a natural right to commit aggression on
the equal rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him.”-- Thomas Jefferson to Francis Gilmer, 1816.
Government: A jobs program for sociopaths. -- Unknown
So Democrat results from some 90 precincts may be missing? I would love to see a recount with two high profile Democrat candidates. I am picturing every recount featuring boxes of ballots “found” in closets and car trucks that just happen to all be for the candidate who’s people are in charge of that precinct, the vote totals climbing with each recount until they exceed the eligible voters in both parties by a factor of two or three. Then the battles would start to change votes that were “mistakenly” cast for the opposition. That is a contest I would watch.
After a long struggle with his health, our old orange Manx cat, Rudy, died in my arms this morning about 4:30 am. He had been pretty sick for a while, with asthma, thyroid and kidney disease, but kept hanging in there being the cheery guy he is. This last week it was all just too much, I guess. He kept asking to go outside, even though he could hardly walk and it was raining outside. Sven and I think he was looking for a place to curl up.
He started last night in the chair in the bedroom, and later Sven pulled him into our bed, so he wasnât by himself, and to keep him warm. We both talked to him for a while and then just let him rest. While he was laying there, he finally passed away.
He was a good mouser in his younger years, and could catch bunnies and squirrels like they were standing still. He got along just fine with the birds and the raccoons and skunks. They were all friends. He had the run of the house, with kitty doors to the back yard and a sun deck whenever he wanted. And he got whatever he wanted to eat for dinner including his own chicken. He lived as best a life as he could these last years.
He was Don and Lennyâs cat, and then Janiceâs cat after that, so we donât know how old he was. He was preceded in death a couple of years ago by his adopted sister Freckles.
May he rest in peace and chase bunnies in kitty heaven whenever he wants.
Thank you, Mac, and again thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and words.
I feel quite sad tonight and the house is quite empty. I hope we did as much as we could for him and that he was unafraid at the end and just feeling tired and time for a nap.
O grabbin’!
Is this Black History Day or Groundhog Month?
I get those two mixed up.
Either way, the sun isn’t up yet and I’m seeing shadows.
Good morning, Rabbit.
Sad start of the day for us. Troll cat passed away around 4:00 this morning. He’d been having a rough time lately and this morning I put him in bed with us and he died a few hours later. He was a good cat and a good companion to many people.
I am so sorry, Sven. You gave him a good life and a great home.
Good morning, RabBeet, Sven and Mac!
Sven --
Our condolences. TC was a fine wee beastie; I know that you and Mrs. Sven were good to him, too. And he passed at home in the company of people who loved him.
Hugs to you both.
I was typing a bunch of stuff, but, Mac and Fatwa said it WAY better. So what they said, Sven.
Hai, TeX!
Glad to see you dropped-by yesterday with updates; may the home improvements go as smoothly as those things ever go. đ
*Schnort*
Aside from headlines, I’ve deliberately avoided reading anything about the Iowa caucuses. Because I profoundly loathe each and every one of those pretenders and it depresses the carp out of me that one of them will almost certainly be the next POTUS.
(It’ll be interesting -- in a Chinese curse sort of way -- to see what kind of shithole this country will eventually become.)
On a more positive note, here’s a couple of reasons I like dogs:
Which is pretty much one of the Top Three Reasons For Being EXTREMELY Grateful I Live in BFE.
I’ve gone from “the mouse that roared” to “I’ll be over here with the ‘Crunch N’ Munch” -- I’m spectating, ‘cuz there sure as sh1t ain’t anything I can do about this circus.
Granted, I’m on the Exec. Comm. of the two highest-ranking “R” orgs in the County … I just don’t have any free parts of my soul to sell to climb the ladder of policy-wonking.
Besides, SyFy’s “The Expanse” is really quite good; and now that I have a dedicated crafting spot, I’ve got tons of things to play with. So I can pretty-up my world and keep an eye on the ammo at the same time.
đ
Oh, and that thread pic got a hearty *snort* out of me.
Good morning, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, RabBiT, TeX, Fatwa, Sven, and Mac!
Sven -- please accept my heartfelt condolences. I know how much you cared for Troll cat by all the things you did to care for him. You gave him a good and loving home and were with him at the end.
TeX -- it’s more than sad that you can rise as high as you have in local politics and still not be able to exert much influence without compromising your values. It shows how large and unaccountable the two major parties have become. I hear pundits talk about reforming the Republican Party from within, rather than forming a new party, but I fear the former is too late and the latter will be a failure.
I parroted that to my friend in the Tea Party, and she’s running with it, bless her heart. And it’s from her my attitude is derived -- she’s quite excited by the places she’s getting invited to/into, but all I’m getting out of her stories is the sheer MASS of “it’s always been this way” that has to be overcome.
And there’s a very simple reason it’s such a challenge -- those of us who’d like to set things right have to work. That implacable, entrenched mass? Retired. All of them. Even my friend (air traffic controller -- 20yrs -- full pension).
I get emails from both orgs: “We’re having training in ‘X, Y, and Z’ on February 2nd. At noon. See you there!”
No, no you won’t. “Please volunteer your time Wednesday at three!” “See you at 2pm …”
Even if I worked at McDonald’s I’d have trouble scheduling in all this sh1t.
/sorry, didn’t mean to get off on a rant
Hai, Paddy!
I agree that it’s (probably decades) too late to reform the GOP; ditto the Jackasses.
However, there seems to be a growing number of Americans who self-identify as independents, which I find encouraging. But it’s difficult at present to sell individual liberty combined with individual responsibility, which is where I’d like to see things headed.
I believe that’s a large -- but perhaps not insurmountable -- cultural problem more than anything else. I just don’t have any good ideas about how to fix it. đ
TeX -- no need to apologize for expressing your feelings and/or frustrations. For those of us who aren’t involved in the political machinery, it’s enlightening to know just what’s going on.
Fatwa -- it takes a certain level of maturity and moral growth to willingly accept personal responsibility when you don’t have to. I’m afraid that too many people haven’t grown up enough to want that.
Too right, Paddy.
That is what depresses me, the number of intelligent and supposedly educated people that think freedom and equality will be given to them by an all powerful ruler who is unaccountable to them if they just give him enough power over their lives and income. They just have to get their guy onto the throne of power and we will see the heavens open up and we will have utopia. Like the Lightbringer.
Well said, Mac. And that’s my fear with Trump and darn near everyone of these guys running. I don’t want someone who is going to “fix” the country and do good--I want someone that will follow the law and the Constitution and let us do the rest.
I never went to college but has there ever been a time when individual rights were respected by government when the people did not have the right and the power to slap the government around and bring them to heel?
I don’t think so, Mac.
Nope.
So Democrat results from some 90 precincts may be missing? I would love to see a recount with two high profile Democrat candidates. I am picturing every recount featuring boxes of ballots “found” in closets and car trucks that just happen to all be for the candidate who’s people are in charge of that precinct, the vote totals climbing with each recount until they exceed the eligible voters in both parties by a factor of two or three. Then the battles would start to change votes that were “mistakenly” cast for the opposition. That is a contest I would watch.
It begins; muwahahahahahahahaha!
I hope Mac’s vision comes to pass. đ
My vision?
VS
Thanks, guys, for your kind words. From Mrs Sven:
After a long struggle with his health, our old orange Manx cat, Rudy, died in my arms this morning about 4:30 am. He had been pretty sick for a while, with asthma, thyroid and kidney disease, but kept hanging in there being the cheery guy he is. This last week it was all just too much, I guess. He kept asking to go outside, even though he could hardly walk and it was raining outside. Sven and I think he was looking for a place to curl up.
He started last night in the chair in the bedroom, and later Sven pulled him into our bed, so he wasnât by himself, and to keep him warm. We both talked to him for a while and then just let him rest. While he was laying there, he finally passed away.
He was a good mouser in his younger years, and could catch bunnies and squirrels like they were standing still. He got along just fine with the birds and the raccoons and skunks. They were all friends. He had the run of the house, with kitty doors to the back yard and a sun deck whenever he wanted. And he got whatever he wanted to eat for dinner including his own chicken. He lived as best a life as he could these last years.
He was Don and Lennyâs cat, and then Janiceâs cat after that, so we donât know how old he was. He was preceded in death a couple of years ago by his adopted sister Freckles.
May he rest in peace and chase bunnies in kitty heaven whenever he wants.
Love,
Mrs Sven
That is about as fine a way to go as I can think of, warm and relaxed in the loving embrace of his most loved people.
I do hate losing the furry babies. It has been a long time and it still hurts. I am sorry, my friend.
Thank you, Mac, and again thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and words.
I feel quite sad tonight and the house is quite empty. I hope we did as much as we could for him and that he was unafraid at the end and just feeling tired and time for a nap.
I’m sure he was, Sven. My condolences to you and Mrs. Sven.