And the birds are extremely active at the feeders.
Two male gold finches wearing their winter feathers.
Downey Woodpecker
It’s Snowing Today
Author Archives: Cats r Flyfishn
Watering Hole: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 – She Lives Here…
…and so does her sister. This young doe and her sister are always hanging out on the property. I haven’t seen the mother around for awhile so mom may be a goner. My guess is that these two young does were born on the property because they seem right at home here. I can slam the cars doors, open the windows, shout at them and all I get is big ears pointed in my direction.
This was as close as I could get with my phone camera because I didn’t want to spook her. I had just gotten out of the car when I saw her standing there. She didn’t budge and she let me take her picture.
I was able to get this photo of the sisters the next day.
Hurry up and take that picture.
This is our Open Thread. What’s new with you? Speak Up!
Virtual Voices, Beautiful Music
Watering Hole: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 – Yes, We Still Can
The big shopping season is upon us. There are bargains everywhere. Lots of cheap Chinese stuff that will be even cheaper. Many chain stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day and they will be offering super special savings right into the next day, “Black Friday”.
We don’t have to buy these foreign goods that are made by under paid factory owned workers. Believe it or not, there are still union shops making products right here in the USA.
Here’s a link to a website that provides information about what products are still made here in a union shop. Let’s support the union workers. When unions win, workers win.
This is our Open Thread. Where do you like to shop? Speak Up!
Watering Hole: November 13, 2012 – What is Your Request?
Now that Barack Obama has been re-elected to a second term, what issues would you like for him to address?
Here are some of mine listed in no particular order:
- Decriminalizing, legalizing, and taxing marijuana.
- Legalizing the growing and selling of hemp.
- Presenting to Congress the approved referendum from Puerto Rico for Statehood.
- Fixing Federal voting laws so that no one is disenfranchised by party politics.
- Working to create a law or make a change to the US Constitution whichever is needed to overturn “Citizens United”.
- Appoint progressive, young candidates to the courts, especially the Supreme Court of the United States.
This is our Open Thread. Speak Up!
This is How I Feel Today
Unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress will continue to obstruct progress and try to keep the country from moving forward. The GOP has not learned that the tide is changing and that the younger, more diverse population does not accept their right wing conservatism. The rule of the old, angry, white man is beginning to fade into the past.
Yesterday showed that money can’t buy the Presidency of the United States. Guess Sheldon Adelson investigation by the FBI will continue.
Watering Hole: November 6, 2012 – Vote
Vote, like your life depends upon it because it does. My recommendation is to vote straight Democratic. We need to keep moving “Forward” and not move backwards.
This is our Open Thread. Speak Up here and more importantly, at the voting booth.
Mitt Romney Lies About Bain Capital
Mitt Romney likes to say that “he can do that” or “that he can fix that” or “he fixed that in the past”. This is always in relationship to the budget deficit. Yet, it was tax payers money that saved Bain Capital not Mitt Romney. He won’t talk about that.
Rolling Stone has the complete article which can be read here.
Excerpt:
In fact, government documents on the bailout obtained by Rolling Stone show that the legend crafted by Romney is basically a lie. The federal records, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, reveal that Romney’s initial rescue attempt at Bain & Company was actually a disaster – leaving the firm so financially strapped that it had “no value as a going concern.” Even worse, the federal bailout ultimately engineered by Romney screwed the FDIC – the bank insurance system backed by taxpayers – out of at least $10 million. And in an added insult, Romney rewarded top executives at Bain with hefty bonuses at the very moment that he was demanding his handout from the feds.
Down in the Dumps, Again
Today makes 5 days without electricity from the power company that serves our area. The most aggravating part is that our neighbors have power but we don’t. If it wasn’t for our Honda generator, we wouldn’t have water or heat and all of our perishable food would spoil.
In an effort to cheer myself up, I decided to post this song. This has always been one of my favorite songs by The Boss. I hope this week’s experience doesn’t spoil it for me.
Watering Hole: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – Babies Know Who To Trust
Babies seem to have a sense of who is real and who is a phony. They know who they can trust. Just look at these photos. Babies are happy with Obama and they cry when they are with Romney.
Last night was the debate on foreign policy. Who do you trust with handling the US foreign policy?
This is our Open Thread. Speak Up!
Clip and Save, The Republican Way
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Watering Hole: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 – The Town Hall Debacle
Tonight is the second in the 2012 Presidential debates and the format will be the town hall. Which Romney will show up? That’s a good question. There is speculation that Romney will try to show that he “feels our pain” by telling stories of woe from the people that he met somewhere in his life. Obama needs to share his stories of how people are better off during his presidency. The President’s message should remain positive and he should speak truth to Romney lies. President Obama needs to knock Romney off of his game. This will be challenging because Romney is well practiced at changing the game just to close the deal.
If you have the time to read the many falsehoods spoken by Romney, here is a link to “Romney tells 533 lies in 30 weeks”. With this many compulsive untruths being told by one person, could this person (Romney) be a pathological liar?
H/T to DailyKos for putting together Romney debating Romney.
This is our Open Thread. Speak Up! And if you have a favorite “Romney Lie”, let’s hear it.
Barack Obama and Congress
Watering Hole: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 – Fun With Terminology
Here are a few terms that I was to considering using when describing certain politicians. Whose name would you place next to any of these? Feel free to combine these terms in any manner that you choose.
Aggression: 1) The act of initiating hostilities or invasion. 2) The practice or habit of launching attacks. 2) Hostile or destructive behavior or actions.
Assertive: Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured.
Assert: 1) To state or express positively; affirm. 2) To defend or maintain one’s rights. 3) To put oneself forward boldly or forcefully in an effort to make an opinion known.
Pathological: 1) Of or relating to pathology (departure or deviation from a normal condition). 2) Relating to or caused by disease. 3) Of, relating to, or manifesting behavior that is habitual and compulsive.
Liar: One that tells lies (a false statement).
Sociopath: One who is affected with a personality disorder marked by aggressive, antisocial behavior.
Narcissism: 1) Excessive love or admiration of oneself. 2) Erotic pleasure derived from contemplation or admiration of one’s own body or self, especially as a fixation on or a regression to an infantile stage of development.
Multiple Personality: A psychological disorder, sometimes occurring as a symptom of schizophrenia in which a person exhibits two or more disassociated personalities, each functioning as a distinct entity.
(All definitions provided by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language).
Today would have been John Lennon’s 72nd birthday. Hats off to you, John. Imagine the joy that John gave to others with his music.
This is our Open Thread. What do think? Speak Up!
SHOUT OUT: Happy Birthday to my Son-in-law. Long may you run.
Look Up In The Sky…
Watering Hole: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 – The Paulies
The other evening, I saw a pick-up truck that had a Ron Paul for President sign that took up half of the back panel. It was huge and it made me think, “What will this person do on election day? Will they write-in ‘Ron Paul’ or will they simply not vote for any of the presidential candidates?”
The Republican Party has been trying to ignore Ron Paul and his supporters and they even attempted to keep Ron Paul’s delegates from attending the Republican Convention. There is no assurance that the “Paulies” will vote for Mitt Romney.
What the Romney campaign fears is that the Ron Paul supporters will never vote for Mitt. The campaign had Paul Ryan address this problem at a recent Ohio rally in which Ryan called on the “Paulies” to vote for Romney.
Though Paul is no longer in the race, many of his supporters have vowed to “write him in” in ballots across the country. For them, the Romney/Ryan ticket doesn’t represent their ideals, and many believe there aren’t substantial differences between Mitt Romney, who, as governor of Massachusetts, signed into law a health care bill largely considered to be the blueprint for the unpopular Obamacare, and the current occupant of the Oval Office.
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But now, Paul supporters seem to have the upper hand as Election Day nears and the Republican ticket seems to be scrambling to keep what has been — at least, until now — a close race to unseat President Barack Obama. And it remains to be seen if some of Paul’s most fervent supporters would give the Romney/Ryan ticket a chance, especially after numerous incidents during which they felt alienated by the establishment wing of the Republican Party as the GOP primaries unfolded.
The first debate is scheduled for tomorrow, October 3rd and only two candidates will be part of the debate. There are other candidates that will appear on ballots across the nation, such as, Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party and Jill Stein, Green Party. They were not invited to the debates. Let’s face it. On the national level, America is governed by a two party system.
This is our Open Thread. Feel free to Speak Up!
Watering Hole: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 – 47%
I am Cats r Flyfishn and I approve this message:
This is our Open Thread. Feel free to Speak Up and share your thoughts and feelings.
Watering Hole: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 – Buzz
Two years ago, hornets built a nest in one of our spruce trees. After a few weeks, the nest was destroyed by something either rain or a critter. Last year, the hornets built a nest on the lower branch of a tree. It was a sturdy nest which withstood a hurricane and an early, heavy, wet snowfall. By February, the nest was destroyed. We had a dry winter so I don’t know what caused the destruction of the nest. This year, the little buggers tried something different. They made their nest on the underside of the electric panel that is attached to the telephone pole. They are resourceful. It is a well designed nest. They even managed to incorporate one of the wires into their home. I find their design and building skills to be fascinating. They don’t frighten me because as long as I don’t mess with their nest, they just buzz right past me without stopping to bother me.
My guess is that a raccoon got into their other nests. Getting into this nest could be a shocking experience.
This is our Open Thread. Speak Up on any topic that you choose.
(Until after the election, my political posts will be a separate post from the Tuesday Open Thread so keep an eye out for additional postings. It can happen any day and at any time. Other Critters will also be doing additional political posts.)
Friday Night Music – Free
At the last minute, I got assigned the task to put up a “Music Night” post so here it goes.
As I was searching for songs from my favorite singer/songwriter, I happened upon these two which reference motorcycles. There is a certain feeling of freedom one gets when riding on a motorcycle.
You choose your topic and go for it. Tonight, it’s a “free for all”.
A Culture of Hate
President Bill Clinton gave an outstanding speech at the 2012 Democratic National Committee Convention (DNC). Early on in his speech, he mentioned the hate that some Republicans, particularly the far right, feel towards President Barack Obama and Democrats.
Though I often disagree with Republicans, I never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate President Obama and the Democrats. After all, President Eisenhower sent federal troops to my home state to integrate Little Rock Central High and built the interstate highway system. And as governor, I worked with President Reagan on welfare reform and with President George H.W. Bush on national education goals. I am grateful to President George W. Bush for PEPFAR, which is saving the lives of millions of people in poor countries and to both Presidents Bush for the work we’ve done together after the South Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the Haitian earthquake.
According to Merriam Webster, the definition of hate is:
1: a : intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury
b : extreme dislike or antipathy : loathing
2: an object of hatred
Thomas Aquinas equates hatred of another person as a sin. You can hate the actions but not the person.
“Consequently it is lawful to hate the sin in one’s brother, and whatever pertains to the defect of Divine justice, but we cannot hate our brother’s nature and grace without sin. Now it is part of our love for our brother that we hate the fault and the lack of good in him, since desire for another’s good is equivalent to hatred of his evil. Consequently the hatred of one’s brother, if we consider it simply, is always sinful.”
This Wiki link offers different perspectives on hate.
My view on hate is that it is like love, a very personal feeling. Hate can easily be directed towards another’s actions or policies. To hate someone as a person involves some type of interaction with that person. With that in mind, the generalized hate that the extremists in the Republican party feel towards Obama is irrational as they have not had a personal interaction with him. It’s illogical to hate a person that you don’t know. Examples:
I don’t hate Paul Ryan. I hate his policies. I don’t hate Republicans. I hate what they want to do to America. I don’t hate the Koch brothers. I hate their greed.
So what is it about President Barack Obama that makes these extremists hate him personally? They never met him so they don’t know him and they don’t mention that they hate his policies. Tea party members and other extremist will say things like, they hate him because he is a socialist or he is a muslim or he is Kenyan etc… . The key word here is “him”. They don’t mention his policies. Instead they focus on Obama personally. Their personal attacks can only be based on prejudice and their hatred for people that look and act different from them and that is why I say that their hatred is based on a black man holding the title of President of the United States.
That’s my opinion and until someone can provide a convincing argument against it, I am sticking with it.
I Pledge Allegiance
Is Mitt Romney really an American? Which country does Mitt Romney serve? Is there something suspicious in Mitt Romney’s tax returns? What is he hiding? Why does he fly the flag of another country? Is this the country that Mitt Romney pledges allegiance to?
The party yacht proudly displays the flag of the Cayman Islands.
More questions, were there years that Mitt Romney didn’t pay taxes? Is he using accounts in the Cayman Island to hide his money so that he doesn’t have to pay taxes to the United States government?
No wonder Mitt Romney is out of touch with the American people. He doesn’t know what it is like to worry about where his next meal will come from or if he still has a job or if he can pay for his mortgage or rent. His only worry is how can he hide his money so that he doesn’t have to pay taxes.
Mitt was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He doesn’t know what it is like to be an ordinary American.
Watering Hole: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 – Good to be back home
Happy to say that nonewhere and cats are back home again. We had a few “Gong Show” moments on our trip and now we are safely at home with our cats. Even though the kitties were getting loving care from others while we were gone, they seem to not be able to get enough of us now that we have returned home.
We loved Oregon. It is America’s best kept secret and when our house sells, we will be moving there. Until then, gee, it is good to be back home, again.
Some observations:
- Saw one Romney sign on a person’s lawn in Sammamish, WA.
- Saw several Ron Paul lawn signs in Wyoming, Idaho and Iowa.
- Saw only ONE Romney bumper sticker and that was in PA.
- Saw several Obama “2012″ bumper stickers throughout Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
I was surprised by the absence of Romney lawn signs and bumper stickers.
This is our Open Thread. Feel free to Speak Up! There is plenty to talk about.
Watering Hole: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 – On The Road
Nonewhere and I are on a road trip from the east coast to the west coast. Today, we are spending some time in Bend, OR. For the first time in 7 days, I heard a variety birds chirping outside and I am loving it. There were no bird songs in South Dakota or Montana. The only birds that I heard in Washington were crows and a few blackcap chick-a-dees. On Thursday, we will be back on the road again and heading back home.
This is our Open Thread. Please do Speak Up and share what’s on your mind today.
Watering Hole: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 – It’s A Matter of Perspective
The other week, we had dinner in a Lebanese restaurant. On the wall next to the booth that my husband and I shared, were various photographs of Lebanon. The owner must have seen us staring at these pictures as he came over to our table and began telling us about the various locations. Some of the writings on the photos looked like French words. We were informed that French is the official language of Lebanon.
The owner, I’ll refer to him as Jake (not his real name), was in a social mood as he stayed by our table and continued to talk to us as we were waiting for our food to arrive. Jake began by telling us the story of the Lebanese civil war. He was a leader in the “Christian Army” as opposed to the “Muslim Army”.
I’m going to cut to the chase. There was one story that he told us that we found particularly interesting. Jake told us that when the conflict first started, the US did NOT support the Christian Lebanese. Here’s Jake’s version (paraphrased) that is not told in our history books.
Henry Kissinger had a plan for Lebanon which was to remove the Christians and replace them with the Palestinians from Israel. Jake told us that the Lebanese Christians were offered “millions” of dollars for them to move out of Lebanon and to move to Canada. The “Christians” were not going to have any of that so they sought help and received help from Israel and the civil war continued.
Support for Jake’s story is difficult to find and it certainly is not the story that was on the evening news in the United States. Whether Jake’s story is true or not is just a matter of perspective.
If you have the time, here is an interesting article in Slate that discusses the civil war in Lebanon and what was happening in Iraq in 2006.
This is our Open Thread. What’s your perspective about anything? Speak Up!
Watering Hole: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 – Three Acres and Pool
The other day, I realized that I have been doing less work around the house and spending more time enjoying the place. It made me think of the Romneys and how nice it must be to have maids, cooks, gardeners, etc… managing their property. They get to enjoy the place without the work.
I will vote for Romney if he promises and delivers three acres and pool along with the staff to do all the work for all Americans. Ha!
This is our Open Thread. What do you want from Romney or Obama? Speak Up!
