Friends with Fur

I have alway had at least one cat when it was possible and find them to be very entertaining. Cats are my favorite pets because they are of a predatory nature and the stalking is part of how they play and interact. I am also drawn to cats because each one has a very unique personality when you get to know them. With dogs you can pretty much train them to play the way you want to, cats however require that you learn along with them what rules there are to the games.There is a lot of debate about how cats show affection or if they do. Some thoughts are that cats have mastered how to get fed and that they really don't care about there human until they want something to eat. There are some wonderful animations at the other end of the following link that show this point of view very well.

Simon's Cat

Occasionally there is a cat that gains a little more fame and for good reason. The cat in the following link is one that shows a fantastic amount of bravery (or stupidity) in protecting his place.

Cat vs. Alligator 


Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed seeing the cat videos.

Free

Over the last few months I have heard enough references to "Freedom" to last me for a life time. I say this because the people who continually bring it into the conversation have little or no experience with being free. It shows in their eyes that they are bound by their own ideas and convictions, incarcerated by their expectations, and restrained by their own ignorance. I say this as an observer who recognizes these imprisonments through my own attempts to let go of them. I am not wholly convinced that being free is really what anyone is after anyway since most people have a need for the acknowledgment of others to verify their existence.

Favorite Picture

I had a cat named Tucker for about 15 years. He was the best cat anyone could ever hope for. He was one of the few cats that would do tricks on command. It's been almost 3 years since he died but I still think of him with a smile quite often. This picture is of him sleeping the way I would see him every afternoon when I would get home from work.

Tucker was not a big fan of the lights shining in his eyes, me either really, so he adapted to make napping work well for him. 

He was such a joy to be around, even though he was a large cat he could somehow find his way onto the top of the entertainment center. I am glad to have had 15 years of his company.

Post Election Post

Now that the election is over I'm hoping to find something else to amuse myself with. The results of the election is going to be analyzed until everyone is unhappy with the new guys. All of the people that appeared on my ballot who I voted for won, so technically everything that is within my realm is good. Seeing how some of the other states came out, I have my concerns about where we are going next with this bunch of nuts. We have a considerable amount of people that are new to governing that will be taking some important roles. Seems like a few years ago there was a lot more who had actually studied law or political science, now it seems the most popular have never even read a book. The thing that keeps me from getting upset about the whole situation is that I know we are a strong country and we can get through what ever mess they come up with.

Enough about the politics. About a year ago I bought the Rosetta Stone program for learning French as I was preparing for a trip to Montreal last year. I got far enough along that I was able to understand a little and order food and now it seems to have all faded from my memory. I keep thinking that I need to go back and try to finish  learning the language, thinking that I would be able to expand my vocabulary or find a better way to say a few things. I fear the downside would be that if I don't use if often then I will not be able to retain much. Secretly I think I just want to learn how to swear in French because it seems to be so much more expressive, or it at least sounds more civilized. Realistically I am actually trying to break from using profanity which has been a serious challenge considering my blue collar and entertainment background. I have found that I am capable of being plenty profane without having to use foul language.

Lately I have been taking inventory of most of the aspects of my life, something I do from time to time. I am really evaluating the quality of the relationships with the people I am around these days. I find myself less than content with most, I think all of this started when I went to visit my old friends a while back. It seems that the current group of people I surround myself with is not building the kinds of memories that I need to make myself feel like I am "involved" in life. I am finally to a point that I can't hide behind my health issues anymore and I have been trying to get out more often. This has pointed me in the direction of considering an academic environment to spend some time around. I find that most of the conversations I have had recently are equally as satisfying as talking to my cat, it's a nice feeling for a bit but it doesn't last very long. I need an intellectual challenge and most of my friends can talk about sports all day long but give me that look if I try to get into something of substance.

With the holidays coming up, I am thinking that since prefer to travel to see family on the off schedule so that things aren't so nutty. This leaves me with some time off work that I need to find something to do. My twisted line of thinking is suggesting that I should present my friends within a reasonable difference with a contest to win me as a guest for the holidays. In theory it seems like a great idea but it actually doesn't work out too well since I typically don't enjoy sitting around with a bunch of people where I might know 2 or 3 while family dysfunctions play themselves out in front of me. Whichever way this plan for the holidays works out, I'm sure it will provide plenty of inspiration for me to get creative again soon. I am pretty sure I am boring you by this point so I'm going to close this post, get something to eat and prepare for a little late night work I must do.

Election Night Recycler

Since it is election night and I am going to spend most of the evening watching the results I decided I should recycle some old post that are related to politics or at least my view of them.

Starting with the first post.
Don't Ask "We the People" Until You Have Done for Yourself

More of the same.
Collective Selectiveness
Politics and Religion

Now it is time for me to settle in and monitor the election results, well after I grab some dinner. I hope to soon find my creativity and write some new stuff and even try to crank out another poem or two. I need to find a little poem theory to study up on so I can give it a serious try, any suggestions?

Oh yeah, I found my autographed dollar today. It was a nice gift from a friend of mine who spoke at an event with the Secretary of the Treasury a while back.