Friday cat blogging

All but LittleOne came for breakfast. Left to right: PuddyTat, Tommie, Dude and Tim with Jellico below. iPhone photos.

Friday shuffle

1. Mambo Italiano - Rosemary Clooney
2. Washington & Lee Swing - Jan Garber Orchestra
3. tórramat do nóebaengil - rajaton
4. Que Será, Será - Doris Day
5. Just My Imagination - Temptations
6. Cold on the Shoulder - Tony Rice
7. Please, Please Me - Beatles
8. Bainton: And I Saw a New Heaven - Westminster Choir
9. Elgar: After Many a Dusty Mile - Finzi Singers
10. Schubert: Mass in G, Kyrie - Shaw, Atlanta
11. Alexander: Jesus Met the Woman at the Well - Chanticleer

Freesia for St Patrick

These flowers are REALLY appreciated as is the sun today!

Snow on 3.11.11

The clothesline holding the feeders pulled the siding away from the house in the wind. When they sided the house they didn't make sure the hook went into the house. Ugh.

Friday shuffle

1. It's Getting Better - Mama Cass
2. For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder
3. Easier Said Than Done - The Essex
4. Brahms: Symphony 2, IV Allegro con spirito - von Karajan, Berlin
5. I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag - Country Joe and the Fish
6. Baby I'm Yours - Barbara Lewis
7. Chesky: The Agnostic, Sam's Prayer - David Chesky
8. Villa-Lobos: Suite Populaire Brésilienne - Pepe Romero
9. Spanish Eyes - Zamfir
10. Walton: Jubilate - Trinity Choir
11. Yellow Submarine - Mrs Miller

Friday shuffle

1. Along Comes Mary - Association
2. Stoned Love - Supremes
3. Liszt: Venezia e Napoli, 2. Canzone... - Berman
4. Make Me Smile - Chicago
5. Nabucco, an analysis, Act II - Anna Russell
6. In the Sweet By and By - Jerry Douglas
7. Hurt So Bad - Little Anthony & Imperials
8. It's My Party - Leslie Gore
9. Persichetti: Celebrations, You who celebrate - Bach Choir Pittsburgh
10. How High The Moon - Benny Goodman

Other impatience

The world is a scarier place than usual at the moment.  Tunisia, Egypt, perhaps Bahrain protesting and hoping for representative governments.  Libya, Iran and other places mercilessly murdering their own citizens.  Border wars and religious wars in Africa.  And elected men in the US who are determined to destroy women's health and the middle class to protect their oligarchy. 

People who tend to side with the underdogs have lots of people to champion. 

Those of us who try to follow what the Bible says Jesus taught have great difficulty loving dictators whether foreign strongmen or Republicans whose goal is to destroy all possible organized opposition to their getting as much money as humanly possible with no regard for others.

I'm getting impatient for revolution in the US.  The Tea Party people blindly elected government officials who have no interest in anyone's welfare other than their own.  They fiercely believe in survival of the fittest and are trying to legislate that.  But who is the "fittest"?  The oligarch or the father with a gun who can't feed or provide health care for his kids?  The Republicans want to arm everyone.  That could be their downfall. 

Impatient

Nothing like melted snow and a little sun to get the Croci, Freesia and Daffys excited. There may be snow tonight but the flowers won't be defeated.

Friday cat blogging II

This is the first time since she discovered the boxes on the cathouse roof that Tim has had Dudie next door.  She just kept looking at him.  He usually vacates the box eventually so I expect PuddyTat will be there later.

Told ya.  And Tim is still watching.

Friday shuffle

1. Mellow Yellow - Donovan
2. Weekend Cruise to Catalina - Almeida/Barbosa-Lima
3. From Me to You - Beatles
4. Anything Goes - Harpers Bizarre
5. Strauss: Des Heldens Friedenswerke - von Karajan, Berlin
6. Whoever's in New England - Reba McEntire
7. Washington & Lee Swing - Jan Garber Orchestra
8. Feudin' Banjos - Smith & Reno
9. On a Night Like This - Howard Lanin Orchestra
10. Callejon Del Muro (Minera) - Paco de Lucia

Friday cat blogging

This fellow is headed for a new home because his caretaker is moving.  He will be living in the city, not on the edge where he could go wandering without much danger.  Hope his caretaker takes care to keep him in.  He knows nothing of traffic.

Bird blogging

This very large bird was feasting on something on the ice down by the dam this afternoon.  I tried to get closer and got the Prius stuck in the snow.  Of course I carry a shovel - along with sleeping bag, food, water and suitcase full of survival gear - in the "trunk" so I could dig myself out.  Eagles are one of the joys of living here.

Friday cat blogging

First, a bit of sadness. Lexie has joined the herd of cats keeping the Company of Heaven on the straight and narrow, reminding all that servanthood (toward them) is the position of those who seek to follow Jesus and keeping humility of humanoids alive and well.

Meanwhile a bit of feline singing interrupted the news about Egypt yesterday. The singer wandered away before I got there - Tommie - and the newcomer vanished when s/he saw me. I did manage to get this iPhone photo of Jellico and the pretty new black and white cat before the latter caught a glimpse of me and ran away.  Probably a female since the folks with her were competing males.  I've seen a black and white cat up by the road when I've gone for the mail which is probably the same one.  This is the first time I've seen her down here tho.

Meanwhile Tim ventured up to the cathouse roof for the first time in several years and immediately took possession of a box.  She and PuddyTat had a spat this morning resulting in a bit of blood on the window.  Neither seemed to be nursing any damage afterward tho.  They have never been friends tho they will eat together if they have no choice.  Tim is on the right with PT on the left. They probably have the same father.  I suspect Furry was Tim's mother.  Of course the smaller cat is in the larger box. 

Friday shuffle

1. There! I've Said it Again - Bobby Vinton
2. Sealed With a Kiss - Brian Hyland
3. People Get Ready - The Impressions
4. Anonymous: Ave Maria Stella - Anonymous 4
5. Get Up John - Ricky Skaggs
6. Mr. Blue - Fleetwoods
7. Good Vibrations - Beach Boys
8. If You See Him/If You See Her - Reba McEntire
9. Haydn: Die Schöpfung, Und Gott Machte das Firmament - Davis, London Symphony
10. PDQ Bach: Eine Kleine Nichtmusik

Too many...

Perhaps I have too many bird feeders. One oilseed and one safflower plus a suet one between the house and the barn.

Two oilseed out in the yard.

Three oilseed, two thistle and two suet on the "clothesline" which is why the post/flagpole bends toward the house. Plus the heated birdbath just out of the picture on the left below.

Not to mention cat food on three levels on the cathouse and in the barn and three litterboxes. Hmmm. (The last photo is embiggenable.)

Friday shuffle

1. Schubert: Mass in G, Credo - Shaw, Atlanta
2. Blue Mountain Hop - Béla Fleck
3. Don't Expect Me to be your Friend - Lobo
4. Another Saturday Night - Sam Cooke
5. Holst: A Somerset Rhapsody - Bournemouth Symphonietta
6. Anyone Who Had a Heart - Dionne Warwick
7. 1, 2, 3 Red Light - 1910 Fruitgum Company
8. Honky Cat - Elton John
9. Leavin' - James King
10. Foss: Behold! I Build a House - Westminster Choir

Friday cat blogging on Monday

While the humans watched football, the cat watched me. We converse.

A trusting soul.

Meanwhile Tommie and the others are far less fortunate but here he has taken over what was LittleOne's sleeping bag over which I placed a box to keep it warmer. LO has retreated to the comforter and deep box on the left but jumps out before I can take a photo. Tim's foam is on the right but she spent the night in the cathouse.

All five of the regulars were in the cathouse this morning. LittleOne, PuddyTat's ear, Dudie's floppy ear and Tommie on the roof with Tim in the heated box on the second floor.

Pymatuning State Park in winter

There are plenty of cars parked in the lot near the boat stalls but the owners aren't sailing. Brrr. There are many similar tents. I wonder what entrepreneur rents ice fishing tents. This is the first I've seen them.

The docks look desolate.

More fishermen.

There are two tiny dots in the upper center of the photo. Those folks are headed into our bay to fish. I didn't walk over to take a photo there.

Don't know why there weren't any tubers or sledders. The temperature was 12° when I took the photo. Yes, the face of the dam provides a wild ride. There is more below the photo.

I was surprised how this photo turned out. I love it. It is to the right of the previous photo.

All are embigginable.

Friday shuffle (not shuffled tho)

This week we have a few selections from newly purchased but most definitely not new recordings. I'm slowly purchasing on CD items I have on LPs. I have arbitrarily chosen some of my "favorites", most of which you can experience for yourself on YouTube.

1. Gnu Song - Flanders & Swann

2. The Hippopotamus Song - Flanders & Swann
3. Madeira, M'Dear - Flanders & Swann
4. The Vatican Rag - Tom Lehrer
5. The Elements Song - Tom Lehrer
6. National Brotherhood Week - Tom Lehrer
7. Smut - Tom Lehrer
8. Anna Russell Takes on Nabucco and The Magic Flute
9. McMoon: Like a Bird - Florence Foster Jenkins
10. Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, Queen of the Night - Florence Foster Jenkins

If you are unacquainted with any of the above, you have missed out on significant cultural educational opportunities. I have on DVD An Ill Wind by Flanders and Swann but not on iTunes. It is one of my alltime favorites.

Friday cat blogging

Tim hides under her foam when it is cold.

This is LittleOne's sleeping bag. I rearranged it a bit after taking the photo so he can actually get under part of it if he tries. He may try to share the warm box with Dude. Sometimes Dude will allow that. PuddyTat won't.

Tom is home too but he and LittleOne were on the cathouse roof eating when I took the photos. He has a choice of a box or his comforter as shown in last Friday's post.

PuddyTat and Dude were home but at the window end of their boxes. I had my hood up which scared LittleOne.

Evening view

It was almost dark when I went over to the neighbor's to deliver her mail and water her palm tree last night. Took this photo of our bay from their porch.

Watching

Sebastian watched me while we watched the Stillers win Saturday. He is part husky, part sheepdog. A very tall dog with a curly tail. Very obedient. Very good dog. Wish I could pet him.

Friday cat blogging

Nobody home in the big cathouse. Tommie comes home every couple of days to rest up and eat but he's out today.

Dudie asleep in the heated box on the middle floor of the cathouse.

Little One and PuddyTat in their heated boxes.

LittleOne left so PuddyTat came out of her box to beg for loving after which she got some treats.

Tim lives in the foam behind her in canoe. Here she plays admiral.

Friday shuffle

1. Nice 'n Easy - Gene Harris Quartet
2. Pachelbel: Magnificat, Deposuit - Ave Maria University Choir
3. Pushin' Too Hard - The Seeds
4. Bach: St Matthew Passion, O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wunden - Gardiner
5. At the Hop - Danny and the Juniors
6. Daddy's Home - Shep and the Limelites
7. Alexander: Jesus Met the Woman at the Well - Chanticleer
8. Standing on the Corner - Four Lads
9. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers
10. Einhorn: Voices of Light, XI. Anima - Anonymous Four, Netherlands Sym

Who's responsible?

Am I my "brother's" keeper? Yes. Is free speech important? Yes. Is there a point beyond which free speech becomes hazardous to others? Yes.

A disclaimer. Yes, I'm passionate and outspoken. Yes, I am guilty of speaking without thinking and causing mayhem on occasion. We all do. Altho I shoot my mouth off too often, I am not on public airways. Well, Facebook and blogs aren't exactly broadcast media. Any influence I might have is very limited.

Awhile back I had a Facebook argument with friends about whether or not I should feel responsible for other drivers on the road. They said an emphatic "No". I disagree. Beyond the hazard of texting or talking, driving in a manner which may cause others to take risks is, in my opinion, unacceptable. We have had very snowy roads lately. There has been some extremely risky behavior by drivers, none of which has resulted in an accident that I've seen. Yet. Driving too slowly encourages some to take risks passing. When a long line builds behind, the driver who can't go faster needs to pull off and allow others to pass. Ignoring those behind can result in an accident or road rage. Yes, the impatient driver is ultimately responsible. I consider myself at fault if something I have done or ignored has caused someone else to do something that either had a lousy outcome or put others at risk.

Likewise with free speech. It is one thing to criticize policy with which one disagrees. It is another thing entirely to vilify another person, especially for the purpose of defeating that person in one way or another. In war, the enemy is reduced to object status to make it easier to kill. This policy has had devastating effects in incidents like Abu Graib and the My Lai Massacre. It has always been the tool of dictators. Today Muqtada al-Sadr is using the technique to urge his followers to get rid of the American troops in Iraq.

Some "Christian" clergy have tried to dehumanize LGBTs by teaching that their behavior is not "natural" and therefore despised by their god. We see the results of that as young people give in to the voiced wishes of bullies and kill themselves. No, the clergy and others are not legally responsible for the bullying or the deaths. I wonder if the God they claim sees it the same way.

Many of the Tea Party people carried ugly signs and exhibited uncivil behavior at meetings and rallies before the fall elections. They revealed much about themselves that most people wouldn't want known. Besides obvious illiteracy, they exposed opinions with no bases in fact, bigotry and hatred of the unfamiliar. They had no respect for others. They were desperate to demonize those who disagreed with their uninformed opinions, especially about the health care debate. They were funded and supported by Fox News, especially Glenn Beck, and on radio by Rush Limbaugh. Their goal was to make those who were too stupid/uneducated/lazy to learn about the issues support their goal of deregulation of business. They won.

Now we have a deranged young man who attacks a Congressional Representative and others in Tucson. The sheriff comments that others' hate speech is partly responsible and Arizona has become the center of the ugliness. He has been condemned for saying the truth. I loved the state when I was at UofA. I would not want to be there now. I'm sure there are good people in AZ. I know a few. They are not the public face. Arizona hates immigrants, prisoners, liberals and countless others. That is the impression one gets from the media. Hate dehumanizes. Once a person becomes somehow less than others, they can easily become a target for those who have a complaint which they perceive can't be solved any way other than eliminating the perceived cause. We see it over and over.

We are all responsible for the Tucson shooting. We are all responsible for the LGBT suicides. We are all responsible for Abu Graib and My Lai. We are all responsible for saying or doing anything that dehumanizes another person no matter how despicable that person or person's behavior may be. As a society we have means of dealing with those who harm others. We all must stop preaching hate. We all must stop trying to put others beneath us and making them therefore subhuman in some way.

The US Congress, especially, must find a way to debate not demonize. Boehner and McConnell need to stop their diatribes against the Obama administration and seriously consider the needs of the nation above those of the people who purchased their party. Those two men can calm the atmosphere by learning and exhibiting respect for those who disagree with differing ideas but just as much passion and concern as they claim to have for the country. Will they?

I'm not holding my breath.

More for 2011

More of what I'd wish for, pray for, hope for, dream of in 2011.

• Fox News would be forced to report factually or remove the word "News" from their name
• The people at Fox News would understand that they are encouraging nuts to do harm to others and halt the hateful rhetoric and bald-faced lies immediately
• Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh would put themselves in the places of those they vilify, realize how much damage they do, repent and begin being constructive
• Gun worshipping nutcases would understand that people without guns are unlikely to shoot others so some sort of control would help everyone
• People who support Palin would grow up and see that she is a disgrace to real Republicans
• Real Republicans would rise up and take the party back

• Every bit of property, regardless of owner or purpose, would pay taxes to support public services such as fire and police protection
• Students and employees would be allowed to fail and learn to deal with reality
• Jerky movements on TV and movies would be eliminated so kids learn to have an attention span of more than 2 seconds

to be continued

For 2011

Some of what I'd wish for, pray for, hope for, dream of in 2011.

Church:
• Sufficient financial resources to remain a parish
• Father Richard to be with us all year
• The means to put a new roof on Christ Church
• The return of Christ Church people who haven't been seen for ages for one reason or another
• The letting go of old prejudices, hatreds, suspicions and other ill feelings that separate us in the parish
• Fun activities involving both adults and children
• Commitment to reach beyond the eucharist to others' needs

Others:
• The success of St Jude's Mission
• Parishes for a whole bunch of friends like Padre Mickey, MadPriest, Lauren and others
• Ordination somewhere for Jack
• Suitable employment for K and another bunch of friends
• Health insurance for E finally

Causes:
• An end to the Anglican Covenant and perhaps the Anglican Communion if necessary regardless of what it means for TEC
• An end to all the TEC property lawsuits and the return of property stolen by schismatics then the legal and ethical release of said property for proper sale to those who want it
• The end of DADT
• The end of DOMA
• The inclusion of LGBTQs as normal members of society with all the rights and privileges enjoyed by others
• Radical conversion of religionists who can't accept the idea that Jesus taught us to love ALL unconditionally and leave judgment to Godde
• Intellectual growth in tea party people and others who claim to be "conservative" and have no clue what the word means
• The demise of the influence of Fox "News", Rush Limbaugh and similar liars and hate mongers - see above
• A path to full citizenship for children brought here by parents but not born here
• A means of convincing business that it is better to put money in play to provide employment and improve the economy than to give it to executives or allow it to lie fallow
• A miracle that convinces Congress to work for the middle class and those who need a chance to improve their lives
• The restriction of the use of words like fascist, socialist and socialism to those who understand what they mean
• The revelation that the fears that motivate so many people are simply the tools used to control them, that the fears have no basis in reality and that fear and the perpetrators of it can be rejected easily for a happier and healthier life
• The rejection of political campaign funding by organizations of any kind
• A limitation on political campaigning to six months before an election

Personal:
• Health and a strong ankle for L
• Strength and focus and organization and concentration for the tasks ahead for me


(to be continued)