Category: Cat

Saturday’s Theme Music

Mood: thankful

Thankful this morning, for the firefighters around the world fighting fires, including those fighting fires in Oregon and California. Thankful for a lot of things which I have and enjoy, including good health, comfort, and security. Thankful, too, for the easterly wind which took the smoke out of our end of the valley. I’m cognizant that our good fortune is now someone else’s misfortune. Smoke goes somewhere as long as the fires burn.

The hourglass called Saturday, August 18, 2023, is running. Sands are pouring through it. The sands of August and the sands of 2023 are also rushing through through glasses. Guess they’re not truly hourglasses; just time glasses. Do they measure time’s passing, or are these mythical things creating time for us?

It’s a cool morning. A little smoke still crazes the sky’s blue facade and discolors small patches but the sun is the right color. 63 F was the overnight low. We’re up to 70 F now but will climb to 92 F in Ashlandia, where the political differences could be called the Deer Party and the Dog Party. Then there’s the Parks Party. DeP, Dop, and PaP.

The cats are so pleased that smoke vacated the area and cool air rides the day. After making morning rounds of the year, they staked out positions, washed, and settled into napping configurations.

I’m looking forward to the GOP debate coming up. First, I’m impressed that the GOP has verified that it’s about money; only those gaining enough monetary donations are able to participate. I guess the theory is, the potential candidates put themselves out there and convince people to give to more their candidacy forward. Works on a built-in assumption that all donors have the same power and money to give, contrary to the reality we’ve seen perpetually demonstrated since the age of capitalism began. But who are we to attempt to force reality onto the GOP? That, demonstratively, no longer works.

Although, fairness, the GOP is not homogeneous. The NYTimes published an article about the GOP’s factions this week. They included estimates about how much of the GOP each faction made up. While many have held that five factions dominate the GOP, the NYT identified six ‘types’ of voters in the GOP. The interesting aspect of reading this is that while they specify only 36% of GOP members support Trump, they show by their groupings that only one, Moderate Establishment, which accounts for 14% of the party, is the only Never Trump group. Dominated by an alliance between Trump’s biggest support factions, the Right Wing and the he rest either enthusiastically endorse Trump or they’re willing to swallow it and support him because they either agree with his positions or because they like him more than they like Democrats. Not really that different from Democrats and their position on President Biden.

For music, The Neurons have fed “Crossroads” by Cream (1968) into the morning mental music stream (Trademark fishy). This is their cover and interpretation of Robert Johnson’s “Cross Roads Blues”, layering it with a faster tempo and hard rock sound. I figure it’s right for this day, these times, when every day in the US seems to be about being at some kind of cross roads regarding the rule of law, ethics, democracy, climate change, etc. The rest of the world also seems at cross roads about multiple matters as well; some are the same as the ones affecting us in the US. So it’s a good song for t’day.

Have coffee, will travel. Be brave, be strong, be positive, and keep on being you. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

Might as well call this Smokeday. It’s August 18, 2023. The air in Ashlandia, where the roads are wide and the sidewalks are numerous, has gone into the trashcan. Yesterday, Purple Air showed the air quality jumping into the hazardous range and lurking there for the night’s entirety. Today finds it still mostly in the hazardous or unhealthy zones. We’ve gone all Twilight Zone apocalypse out there, with the mountains hidden behind he dirty air and no view of the valley. We could be the last island of civilization, if this view is the guide.

We’d been hoping we’d miss the smoky air this year. So far, we had done well, but lightning lit up the Klamath complex southwest of us, and its smoke drops a pall over the region. The fire centers on Happy Camp, which was also the source of our 2014 nasty air.

In good news, we’ve dropped out of the high temperatures. 72 F now, today’s high end is believed to be 92 F but I postulate that this thick smoke will keep us from reaching that high. Winds are from the east, clearing the smoke out right now. Sunshine has cleared its way after a long red dawn morning. It’s raining on the coast, which will put some moisture in the air around Happy Camp. That keeps us hope that the fire won’t be around into November.

The cats aren’t pleased with the smoke, as we’re keeping them in. Tucker the elder is fine with it but Papi issued declarations that staying in was not in his bucket list. He mostly makes his home in the master bath, with its cool and quiet, I suppose, and no one can slip up on him without being sighted. I’m thinking of Tucker in that, who gets passive-aggressive at times, and outright aggressive at others. TC is being mellow, though, but already a little under the weather with some respiratory issues brought on by the smoke. I’ll give him some Lysine L, which generally helps him deal.

Songwise, I have Croce in the morning mental music stream (Trademark worthy). Jim Croce arrived there after a convo in which someone said, “You just don’t do that.” My Neurons leaped into action, adding, “You don’t pull on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with Jim.” So here we are with “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”, some fun story-telling music from Jim Croce and 1972.

Time to coffee up and face the day. Be strong, stay pos, and don’t get sucked into the vortex of negativity. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Floofditional

Floofditional (floofinition) Handed down from animal to animal as a custom.

In use: “Unbending to the house’s floodtitional approach to who sleeps where — floof #1 always got the bed — the new kitten, RBG, decided she would sleep where she wanted and when she wanted, and exhibited so much charm and confidence, the other animals moved over.”

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Inflooftuous

Inflooftuous (floofinition) – Disruptive animal incursions, behavior, or activities.

In use: “The bird was inflooftuous by nature, singing and dancing on his corner swing, but also commenting on people as they entered the house or went into the bathroom, often saying, ‘There’s trouble.'”

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Floof Demand

Let me in let me in let me in let me in!

This is not how the day should begin!

I shouldn’t be out there while you’re within.

And closing the door on me is a mighty sin.

How do I know that you’re well?

What would I do if you fell?

I’ve said it before, must I say it again?

Let me in let me in let me in let me in!

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Floofenriched

Floofenriched – (floofinition) Experiences, lives, or individuals improved by the presence of, participation of, or interactions with, animals.

In use: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals found that animals in the house floofenriched their cloistered existence, and adoptions rose sharply.”

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Panfloofual

Panfloofual (floofinition) – Not limited in choice or preference to one species or breed of animal.

In use: “Although people are professed cat or dog lovers, abundant households have people, especially children, who are panfloofual, playing with and loving birds, fish, lizards and reptiles, and guinea pigs and hamsters, among many, many other species.”

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Floof Appeal

Floof Appeal (floofinition) 1. A indefinable essence emitted by some individuals which draws animals to them.

In use: “With Debra’s floof appeal, whenever she visited someone with pets, they inevitably gravitated to her, prompting jealousy in some because cats would stay in her lap and dogs would lick her hands and sit beside her, tail wagging like they were getting ready to fly away.”

2. Personality or looks which animals emanate or display which attracts humans or other animals.

In use: “Though glowing with floof appeal, Corky was a little standoffish and shy, but her looks made everyone want to befriend her.”

3. Urgent communication regarding the state or condition of an animal, or an appeal for help with an animal.

In use: “When Dot’s young rescue Huskies escaped her yard, she put out a floof appeal with photos and descriptions to multiple social media sites, and was soon rewarded with the dogs’ return.”

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The Plan

They slumber in vinca

or under the grill,

but you’ll never see them

because they stay so still.

They only come out when

something is offered to eat,

and that comes after the sun is setting,

and there’s a lot less heat.

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Independent Floof

They’re an independent floof of independent means,

(At least, that’s how they see it, just between you and me).

Going where they want, doing as they wish,

Eating off of everything,

Especially your dish.

You can tell them otherwise,

And order them, “Don’t you dare.”

And they’ll wait until you go away,

And then do what they please.

And though you may get angry,

You might even get mad,

You know when they’re gone,

You’ll be very, very sad.

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