Poetry Sunday

I'm not really a cat person (although I'm very fond of Lucy, Loki, and Mobius, our daughter's cats), but I know that many other people are, and that cats are playing an outsize role in this bizarre election season, whether as the companions of JD Vance's despised childless cat ladies, as the food of Haitian immigrants in Ohio (as Der Furor claimed in his "debate" with Vice President Harris), or as the pet of unlikely political powerhouse Taylor Swift. In that vein, how about a poem about our feline friends?

The Cats

by Ann Iverson

To find such glory in a dehydrated pea

on the tile between the stove and fridge.

To toss the needs of others aside

when you simply aren't in the mood for affection.

To find yourselves so irresistible.

And always in a small spot of sun,

you sprawl and spread out the pleasure of yourselves

never fretting, never wanting to go back

to erase your few decisions.

To find yourself so remarkable

all the day long.

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. And as Childless Cat Lady Taylor Swift has reminded us, an election is coming and the choice is yours to make. Be sure your voting registration is current, do your research, and plan to vote for the candidate of your choice. Choose well.

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday

Our vacation is over, and things are back to as normal as they ever are. This means that Cartoon Saturday is back with its introductory summary of the week's noteworthy news ...

Vice President Kamala Harris decisively defeated* Der Furor in their first (and likely only) "debate" of the election season; the crew of the Polaris Dawn spacecraft successfully carried out the first space walk conducted by a civilian astronaut; hurricane Francine went inland after lashing the Gulf Coast with winds and heavy rain; officials in Ohio spoke out against stories of Haitian migrants stealing and eating cats and dogs, a bizarre rumor given a boost when Der Furor cited it as "fact" in his "debate" with Vice President Harris; and in England, the purse belonging to the Police Minister of Great Britain was stolen while she was delivering a speech to a conference of police officials about an “epidemic of antisocial behavior, theft and shoplifting."

This week, another potpourri collection of cartoons for your entertainment. 

Been there, done that ...

I think this fellow should be running for office as a MAGA Republican ...

Yes ... yes, it is ...

Clever camouflage ...

Guess how he's going to vote ...

I think the cats are generally getting pretty pissed off this election season ...

I've lost track of whether Congress or Der Furor has worse image ...

I assume people are the same everywhere ...

A lot of people in Congress seem to be unfamiliar with the Constitution ...

I wonder if it could have happened that way ...

And that's it for another Cartoon Saturday - I hope it helped you get past the weirdness of the past week in politics, economics, and religion.

Have a good day and a great weekend. More thoughts coming tomorrow, when Poetry Sunday returns.

Bilbo

* The word "emasculated" has been used by some commentators.

Great Moments in Editing and Signage

With the new month comes new opportunities to recognize editorial and signage mishaps ... how better to celebrate Friday the 13th?

Aren't there laws against that? ...

I'm not sure I want to eat here ...

I'm glad they clarified that ...

Um ... no, thanks ...

The visual effects will probably be lacking ...

I wonder about "Grand Prix" Enterprises ...

This would be my ideal address ...

I guess they get that way when they're whipped and mashed ...

Too soon? ...

Friends with benefits? ...

That's it for today ... if it's early enough, you may still have time to order that cordless massager. I assume it comes in a plain brown wrapper.

Have a good day, and be sure to come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Musical Sunday

I know that I sound like a broken record when I keep harping on the curse of money in politics, but I can't help it ... it drives me crazy*. This classic tune from Abba isn't about money in politics per se, but it does remind us of what makes the world go 'round.

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend and remember - we've got the best government money can buy. Let's see if we can do some infrastructure work on it by voting blue at every level this November!

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* Those who know me well would say it's less a drive than a short putt.

Cartoon Saturday

Ready for this week's set of cartoons? I know I am! This week, we pay another visit to those unsung heroes dedicated to making our lives safer - the crash test dummies.

They start learning their craft early ...

Good idea ...

For real, as my granddaughter would say ...

They may not make the best financial advisors after a career change ...

Dummies take care of each other ...

It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it ...

Different viewpoints ...

AI doesn't just threaten your jobs ...

They test other things besides auto safety ...

Not the fellow you really want to have sitting next to you on that flight ...

And that's it for this bang-up collection of cartoons ... I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to come back tomorrow, when Musical Sunday has its salute to the monied classes - more thoughts then.

Bilbo

The Right-Cheek Ass Clown for September, 2024

I generally like to make my Ass Clown Award picks as currently topical as possible, but since I'm on vacation without reliable wi-fi connections, I needed to make this selection a bit in advance. Nevertheless, I think it's probably a still-timely and well-deserved selection.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, we begin the new month with the award of the tinfoil and toilet paper crown for

The Right-Cheek Ass Clown for September, 2024

to

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

When a political figure is rejected even by members of his own family*, one has to wonder what that person has to offer to a thinking voter. 

Mr Kennedy has gained notoriety for his embrace of conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination stance, his odd claim that doctors had found a dead worm in his head, and his bizarre story of dumping a dead bear in New York's Central Park, for starters. His decision to endorse Der Furor and suspend his candidacy for the presidency (but only in closely-contested states where his supporters might go on to support Der Furor) was a mixture of cynical self-interest and realization that his political vanity project was going nowhere.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, is named as the Right-Cheek Ass Clown for September, 2024. We can add him to the list of those who should never be anywhere near any elective office, much less the presidency

Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday, when we once again salute those who give their artificial lives to help keep us safe - crash test dummies. More thoughts then.

Bilbo 

* Perhaps it's a GOP thing ... Arizona Representative Paul Gosar's family rejected him, too.

Poetry Sunday

Yesterday, Cartoon Saturday looked at the lighter side of elections. Today, Poetry Sunday turns to a reflection on things we could think about instead of the political darkness ...

Poem with an Embedded Line by Susan Cohen

by Barbara Crooker

When the evening newscast leads to despair,

when my Facebook feed raises my blood pressure,

when I can't listen to NPR anymore,

I turn to the sky, blooming like chicory,

its dearth of clouds, its vast blue endlessness.

The trees are turning copper, gold, bronze,

fired by the October sun, and the bees

are going for broke, drunk on fermenting

apples. I turn to my skillet, cast iron

you can count on, glug some olive oil,

sizzle some onions, adding garlic at the end

to prevent bitterness. My husband,

that sweet man, enters the room, asks

what's for dinner, says it smells good.

He could live on garlic and onions

slowly turning to gold. The water

is boiling, so I throw in some peppers,

halved, cored, and seeded, let them bob

in the salty water until they're soft.

To the soffrito, I add ground beef, chili

powder, cumin, dried oregano, tomato sauce,

mashed cannellinis; simmer for a while.

Then I stir in more white beans, stuff the hearts

of the peppers, drape them with cheese and tuck

the pan in the oven's mouth. Let the terrible

politicians practice / their terrible politics.

At my kitchen table, all will be fed. I turn

the radio to a classical station, maybe Vivaldi.

All we have are these moments: the golden trees,

the industrious bees, the falling light. Darkness

will not overtake us.

Yes, let them. We will assemble at the kitchen table and continue on, as we must. Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo