Where Have the Humans Servants Gone?

“The servants packed up some bags and left yesterday,” said Lamont.

“Yes,” responded Patchtricia, “and they did not return.”

“I wonder what on earth has happened to them,“ said Pawline? “This is most distressing.”

Days pass…

“Where oh where have they gone?” cried Lamont. “Where can the be so long?”

“I don’t have a clue,” said Paw. “Surely they cannot have abandoned us?”

“How could they,” mewed Patch. “They rescued us, and have been very good servants giving us good food and brushing and petting us. It doesn’t make any sense they would just pack up and leave us alone.”

Days pass…

“I’m don’t know what to do,” cried Lamont. “They have been gone so long, and here we are all alone. It makes no sense to me.”

“Well,” said Paw, “we’re not entirely alone. That lady from next door comes and feeds us and gives us water. I think she would like for us to come out and say hi to her.”

“I’m sure she would too,” replied Patch, “but our feral heritage makes that extremely difficult. It took a long long time before we got used to our servants and to care for them. These attachments just don’t happen over night.

Each cat nods it head and grooms itself or each other.

Days pass…

“Did you hear the garage door open,” said Lamont with his ears twitching in all directions?

“I think you’re right,” said Patch. “Could it be that our servants Meugh and Mewreen have returned?” as she jumped up and stood at the top of the stairs with her liter mates.

“The key is turning in the front door,” exclaimed Paw. “I think, I do think, the servants have returned. Could be.”

All three cats listen as luggage is hauled into the house, the slowly one by one the creep down stairs and peek as the servants come into the house.

“Oh glory be. They here,” exclaimed Lamont! “They are home at last.”

“Oh yes,” said Patch, “who would have thought we would have become so attached to these human critters. I’m very glad they are home.”

“I think I feel a purr coming on,” said Paw. “I hate to admit it but we’ve grown to love these human servants. We love the brushing, the treats, the petting and the like they give us. They are good servants indeed.”

“Indeed,” said Lamont and Patch together. “Amen.”

Days pass…

“Lamont,” said Patch, “aren’t you going a little overboard with this affection thing? First you started sitting by Mewreen’s legs and rubbing against them. And now you have become a lap cat. I have even seen you sit like that with Meugh when Mewreen is not around. And what’s with the drooling?”

“You’re find one to speak,” replied Lamont. “You run to Meugh at not the usual hours and hop on his chair for treats even when it is not treat time. But I notice he usually does hand out treats. One for you in his lap, one he feeds to me and I take it out of his hand, and one he drops on the floor for Paw. But good job, we are all getting more treats than ever.”

“Yes,” added Paw. “I think they missed us as much as we missed them. There seems to be more brushing, petting and treats since they have returned from wherever they went. I gather it was some type of cruise, whatever that was, they took with Meugh’s liter mate and his wife.”

“Life is good again,” explained Lamont.

“Yes indeed, life is good again,” Paw added.

“Amen and amen to that,” said Patch.

The Joys of Living in Cat House on the River

One day Lamont, Pawline and Patch were having their version of High Tea, grooming and licking each other, and just enjoying each others company.

“Paw and Patch,” said Lamont as usual starting a catversation, “what do you like best about living in the house since we moved from the Shackteau to the main residence?”

“Oh,” said Paw, “there are so many to choose from. I like the constant food available and I especially like the gourmet dining at night; those are very good. Wait, I know what I like the very best of all ~ brushing. Meugh is a very good brusher. He brushes the top of my head, he brushes my cheeks, he brushes my entire body. I wonder if he is collecting our cat hair for a project. Brushing, that’s definitely what I like best.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” mewed Patch. “As Paw said, there really are many things. There are lots and lots of windows upstairs and downstairs to gaze out of and see all the critters outside. I do like watching things. But sometimes they scare me and I run away. Well, that’s a think I like. There are so many places to hide. You know there’s those boys who show up every now and then and they want to find us and hug us. Too much affection for a shy cat like me; but I am very good at hiding.”

After a short pause Patch continued, “I’ve got it. I know what I like the very best of all. I like treats. Every evening when Meugh and Mewreen get their glasses of colored water, which I know it really isn’t water, you ever stuck you nose in them and sniffed?” Both other cats nodded in the affirmative. Patch continued, “What I like best is when Mewreen is settled in her chair and Meugh is settled in his chair, I climb up on his chair, and he gives me treats out of a blue plastic bottle. Yummy. He lays one on his leg or chest for me to eat and then he put one in the palm of his hand for you Lamont to bite, and then he tosses one to you Paw who stays a bit away. I don’t know why you both don’t like to get on his lap, though you do Lamont from time to time. Anyway, I like treats best.”

Lamont has listened attentively to his two sisters and now takes his turn. “I as well dear sisters find many many things I like about this house. I like it when we play scRugby with the rugs; that is lots of fun. I like roaring from room to room. I like laying out full length and basking in the sun. I like to rub up against our servants legs and shedding hairs all about the place which they pick up with the sucking machine. I really like exploring this house, it has some many places to see but for some reason our human servants aren’t always pleased by the places I explore like when I walked around the crown molding. I like all of these things very much and the things you mentioned as well. But, after much thought and pondering – I heard that grumble Paw – I have come to a conclusion. What I like the very best is laying beside Mewreen when she sits in her chair. I don’t know what all she is doing there, but I just like being snuggled up with her. That’s what I like best.

Lick, Lick, Whack, Whack

One day Lamont was lying basking in the sun as it streamed through the living room windows slightly dozing, baking his little cat bones. In the midst of his afternoon reverie Pawline came wandering into the room walked over the Lamont and then began licking his head with sisterly affection. After two licks she then pounded him on the head with two quick thumps.

Lamont leapt to his feet scowling and meowed, “What did you do that for Paw?”

“It’s a feminine prerogative,” replied Paw calmly and strode away with great aplomb.

“Females,” snorted Lamont and lay back down. Then he reflected on a times he had clouded and perused Meugh’s mind along with other human male servants. Then he scoped the minds of male dogs and other male species.

“Hmmm,” Lamont thought to himself. I do believe I have discovered a sex link characteristic that other sociologists and psychologists have hereto overlooked. This behavior of the female of a species showing great affection and then pounding upon their male friends is a regular phenomena, if not predictable. Females are never predictable. Sometimes they just pound on a male as a show of affection, or so it appears.

“I wonder why it is when the so-called gentler of the species, whatever species feel it is perfectly proper to show affection by beating and hitting upon the male counterparts.

“Females, go figure,” said Lamont as he lapsed into another snooze in the sunlight.

Misplaced Blame: A Doomed Presidency

Some of you may have thought I’d taken a sabbatical from writing on anything except cats, which I have not written about much lately either. But it is summer, and the golf course calls, I’m doing a bit of preaching, and perhaps I’ve just grown a bit bored with the political debate and want to leave it all to Robert Reich who does it better and maintains his enthusiasm better than I. But I’m left with an itch to do this bit.

Over and over in the news we hear about Obama’s presidential approval rating being terrible; the worst in history, awful, stinky-poo (for Palin type readers.)

The Rasmussen Reports tracking poll shows only 47% approve of his performance and 52% disapprove. Wait, that doesn’t seem like a presidential Armageddon. The Gallup Poll has his approval rating at 43% with 51% disapproving as of July 14, 2014. Reuter/Ipsos has him with 37% approval and 56 disapproval. Pew Research has him with 44% approval and 49% disapproval. Quinnipiac puts him 40% approval and 49% disapproval. Where are these really bad reports coming from.

Ah, I think I have it, these are the reports that compare him to other presidents since WWII. That way the Quinnipiac University reports 33% of voters think he is the worst president since 1945. George W. Bush is 2^nd worst at 28%; Nixon is in 3^rd place at 13%, and Carter at 8%.

And then we rate the best presidents with Ronald Reagan rated best since WWII. What?

I find these numbers disturbing on many levels. Ronald Reagan the best since WWII? Don’t folk have a clue that because of his policies our economy has gone completely to the dogs with “Trickle Down” economics, which has crushed the middle class and concentrated the wealth of the nation among the select few? The guy had a nice smile, made silly but pleasant B movies, but was sophomoric at best in terms of economics and politics. Oh well, his Bonzo movies with the chimpanzee were entertaining and perhaps reflective of his presidency.

That was the president that told the nation he would reduce the debt, increase spending (on the military) and balance the budget. It was impossible and the record shows it; he increased it by 13.2% only to be out done by George W. Bush at 42.7% - Wow!

Personally, in terms of popularity, I don't think President Obama had stand a chance of being popular from day one for a lot of reasons. Here are some of them.

First, he is a black man, which makes his election amazing; but bigotry remains and racial slurs about Obama occur with great regularity in this country.

Second, he inherited a total mess from G.W. Bush and his predecessors. A war with tremendous costs based on deception. Corporate and big wealth powers that developed through deregulation since Reagan, which led to the bailouts he also inherited. The economic problems made him like the little Dutch boy plugging fingers into the dike until he ran out of fingers.

Third, a supreme court that seems to have lost touch with the constitution and the needs of the country.

Fourth, a congress, especially the House, dominated by folk who don’t even believe in government; so what are they doing there. These extremists have swung the Republican Party so far to the right it is no longer recognizable by Eisenhower Republicans. We have had deadlock in congress before, but the congress during Obama’s administration is likely to down in history as the most doing nothing obstructionist congress ever. They and we suffer from election laws that make it necessary for members of congress to raise $17,00 a day just to make a descent run for office; no wonder the have become dependent upon the big bucks people.

There are more reasons for Obama’s unpopularity, but enough for now.

I believe Obama is a good guy, who is a man of vision and understand the role of government well ~ meaning to serve the common good. He speaks with eloquence but seems unable to move the country or especially congress to do the right thing.

I have finally finished reading Theodore Roosevelt’s autobiography; a feat not for the faint hearted. He was a remarkable man who faced many of the problems we face today. I also thought of his cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who also faced similar problems. Theodore was a Republican but a progressive one who was willing and able to confront the non-progressive elements of his party and was able to provide incredible leadership for this country. He established countless national parks, was a forerunner in environmental issues, he fought a corrupt political system successfully and used the presidency as a bully pulpit to bring both congress and the country on board with programs that worked for the common good. But he had people he could and did work with even when they disagreed with him; they did the right thing. The president and congress knew the art of debate and compromise.

Much the same can be said of Franklin Roosevelt. The issues he faced were great and called for bold and progressive solutions. He worked with a congress that also were not pushovers and always agreed with him. But with his leadership they did things that worked for the common good. Like his cousin, the broke up monopolies, supported trade unions that developed a strong middle class and got people working and gave them dignity.

On the other hand Obama, I believe has faced the most intractable congress in history. There enough members who sole interest is in defeating him and show a total lack of the common good. They ignore or do not understand the history of our country to see when things worked and when they didn’t or they just don’t care. They have created an oligarchy where the rich run the country. I understand the anger of the right and its frustration with the government, but I do not understand their failure to right the wrongs that exist and the blockage of programs that promote the common good. Plus their inability to compromise.

As great as the Roosevelt’s were I doubt it they would be able to do what they did in today’s political climate. And because of that we all pay the price. Worse, we the people, are quick to blame but slow to solve problems. We apparently don’t read history and learn lessons from it that would help us today. We have become short sighted and wrapped up in our vested interests failing to see the overall picture of the country and the need to work for the common good.

What I am trying to get across here, is that we are blaming the wrong person(s) for the lack of productivity of the Obama presidency. Obama may no be perfect, who is, but the real problem in dealing with the issues of the day are not in the Executive branch of the government but with the Judicial and Congressional branches. The other part of the blame goes to ourselves for not being better informed and more active in the political arena. We elect these people, we should search out more qualified, less influenced by outside sources individuals and encourage them to run for office and help them do so. We need a strong grass roots progressive populist movement. There are such groups, but not nearly enough if we are to reclaim our democracy.