| Author | Message | ||
     Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 1406 Registered: 5-2001 |
I want to be able to wake up tomorrow morning and find the Planet Earth still rotating on its axis around the sun. I want us all to be able to breathe the air without fear of its containing more than the usual level of toxic pollutants, ditto for drinking the water. I don’t want anyone to be faced with the “duct and roll” decision of having to choose between falling victim to mass murder resulting from breathing air filled with biological and/or chemical hazardous material or committing mass suicide resulting from asphyxiation brought about by hermetically sealing their living space. I don’t want to see our soldiers, or anyone else’s soldiers, die a meaningless death (meaningless to them or to me). If the worst does happen, I don’t want to have to live however briefly with the sick feeling that my nation’s leadership was responsible for such an atrocity taking place. The moral dilemma I am faced with now is that I don’t know what action (or inaction) is the best to take to turn these wishes into reality for all our days to come. Whatever decision our delegated leadership chooses to take in the near future could literally save the world or end it. Any comments, answers or suggestions would be welcome. | ||
| shh Citizen Username: Shh Post Number: 469 Registered: 5-2001  |
Wow Joan, you just really freaked me out! I was upset about the treacherous walk to and from the train with my kids. Now I don't know what to think. I prefer keeping my head in the sand about a lot of this. Naive? Perhaps, but at least my kids don't find me sobbing thoughout the day. Stay strong. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 1423 Registered: 5-2001 |
Shh: I posted the above as a personal reaction to all of the discussions I have read recently regarding the real possibility of our nation initiating armed conflict against a perceived enemy with the proven ability to strike within our boarders. Most of the discussions I have read on the Board within the past several days have focused on the appropriateness of our municipality's taking an official position on matters of national policy which may not reflect the thinking of the citizens of the township they represent. I think it is time we focused on what we as individual and collective concerned groups of citizens can do to influence what will hopefully become a peaceful outcome to what could be a very devastating situation. The problem is that there is no obvious solution here. A premptive strike could take out a very dangerous opponent before they have a chance to cause our nation and our world irrepairable damage. A premptive strike could also be directed at the wrong target and could result in a backlash of hostility that is just waiting for an opportunity to unleash its horrors on a planet which may never recover. Avoiding confrontation through weapons inspections and international sanctions which fall short of armed conflict could give the perceived enemy the time it needs to prepare and execute one or a series of devastating attacks. Avoiding confrontation through weapons inspections and international sanctions could also go far towards restoring the harmony that our planet is so in danger of losing to a point of no return. What scares me most is that: 1. We as a community lack the information (as opposed to info-mercial) needed to reach a responsible set of conclusions on which to take responsible actions (or inactions); 2. Our nation's leadership may not be going after the right target; and 3. Our own nation's leadership could be the target we should be going after. Sorry that I freaked you out with this post. On the other hand, I'm glad it got you thinking. | ||
| shh Citizen Username: Shh Post Number: 471 Registered: 5-2001 |
It's ok, just when I read it, it was like a slap in the face. Not a wakeup call...I AM aware of what's going on (at least overall, not every detail) and like you I feel sort of helpless. This morning I was watching the news and the whole duct tape and plastic came up and Ridge said to just be aware but keep on living. Well, I guess I'm just lliving. My sister-in-law works for the defense dept. so I try to get INFO from her and my brother. Not media hype, but real information. Early this week when I spoke with my brother he told me they just don't know. I feel fortunate I have someone so close to me knowledgeable. I watch the news and glaze over. I can't live my life like that, I have little ones depending on me so I just keep going—and of course hope for the best. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 1669 Registered: 5-2001 |
Good-bye, Alberta. You are sorely missed and will always be remembered by those who knew you. I am glad that I went to your wake today and saw you resting so peacefully. It was such a sharp contrast with the way you died. You've gone home to your G-d. Rest ye well. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2514 Registered: 5-2001 |
The cat on my lap is back. His probing mind directs my fingers as I type this message on his behalf. Shy creature that he is he requests that his message be posted unobtrusively in Blogs rather than in some feline dimension of Soapbox. The cat sits on my lap stifling a yawn as he reads the words which appear magically on the screen in front of him. His feline brain cannot fathom why the posters of MOL infuse so much energy in the subjects they choose. Every now and then he will purr in approval when a subject of true interest becomes the topic of discussion: Sports? Now that’s worth discussing. But why write of Frisbee, golf and soccer (sports which pose far too much of a challenge to the feline physiognomy) when fish pond fishing, mouse body bowling, and advantageous angles for sunbathing are of far greater interest. Rodent infestation? He would like to see a nice juicy mouse or two about now. Unfortunately, he is far too accomplished a mouser and his housemates are far too accomplished at housekeeping for anything more than the single stray field mouse to appear within his line of vision. He longs to burst upon the scene of each infested property and dispatch all the mice therein with a single swipe of his mighty declawed paw but he is a house cat and never ventures beyond the confines of his den (unless the door to the outside is left open long enough for him to make his escape). Feral cats? “They are the ones who made it through the door to the great outside”, he thinks. Lucky them. “No, on second thought unlucky them for they never made it back inside their warm, snug house again.” Much better to curl up on this nice soft lap and… Wild dogs? Thanks for the warning humans. That is a bit of intelligence well worth knowing. Call out the North Terrace Militia! They will dispatch those dogs in no time! “Wonder if I could enlist?” he thinks pruning himself. “Is thirteen above the draft age?” The ball of yarn on the floor grabs his attention. My it’s tempting. Yarn unrolling is the sport of cats. Take that you rodent and this you wild dog. Who needs the militia? Who needs the posts of….zzz. | ||
| Rebecca Raines Citizen Username: Robin_realist Post Number: 89 Registered: 10-2003 |
Joan, I need you in Authors Anonymous. I was just sitting here with a cat on my lap and reading MOL. When I came across the topic of rats in Irvington, I thought of her sitting comfortably there. She and her brother do their best to keep us mouse, bird, bat and even fly free inside the house, but how would they fare against an army of Irvington rats? Reading MOL you could get the idea that we're overrun with horrors: Rats and gangs from Irvington, head lice and mice/rats in the schools, wild dogs from the Reservation.......etc. I really enjoy your posts. They are usually so sensible. Then I discover here that you have a sense of humor too. Lovely. R | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2565 Registered: 5-2001 |
Thanks, Becky. The cat is once again on my lap. He has positioned himself defensively between my chair and the keyboard. Whether it is his intension to guard the words I enter from undue criticism or to prevent the entry of any thoughts not his own I can't tell. The ball of yarn was the shade of grey he has heard referred to as purple and had originally been intended for use in the work in progress I had planned to bring to this evening's show and tell. Since his work is more in the nature of performance art which doesn't travel well from the house, I won't be able to bring it to share. Instead, I decided to use cardinal red for the angel's blouse in the folk artsy planter I'll be showing this evening. I can't wait to see all the great needlework and to hear more about your fabulous trip. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2608 Registered: 5-2001 |
The cat on my lap's blog continued: The yarn is the shade of grey the cat has come to think of as purple. This puzzles the cat. Purple is such a little used color in the human world. The few times he has made it out of the house through the open door, he has seen purple flowers, purple highlights in the stems of leaves, even purple traces in the sunlight glimpsed through the braches of the trees in his yard. But, he has never seen anything made by humans that was purple in color. The houses on his block are painted in the shades of grey which are known as red, orange, yellow, blue, green, brown, white and true-grey. He has never seen a purple house, doubts if any exist outside of picture books. He sees other things in the outside world - red cars, orange brick walkways, yellow plastic garbage cans, green street signs, blue bicycles, grey roads with white lines down the middle where people and cats can safely cross. None of the things he has seen are purple and this makes him very sad. The cat just can't understand why humans refrain from using such a majestic color in perfecting their own works. His eye moves to the the purple yarn he has used in his own work of art: Spirit Catcher with Coffee Table Legs and Stuffed Mouse. "What a great artist I am!" he thinks as he yawns broadly, curls up on his creation, and goes back to his nap. | ||
| Catastrophe Citizen Username: Cat Post Number: 35 Registered: 6-2003  |
what a lovely story. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2620 Registered: 5-2001 |
Catastrophe: The cat is very smitten with your kind post. He has relegated me to standing beside the computer screen, key board in hand, while he sits on his self-appointed throne gazing glassy-eyed at your visage while preening himself and purring loudly to the tune of "Beautiful Dreamer". He thanks you kindly for making his day! | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2637 Registered: 5-2001 |
The sun is over the equinox and the cat is in love. When he isn't sitting upright on my lap, paws pressed to the keyboard, he is busily pushing bric a brac off his favorite window sill. Then he rubs his cheek against the window drape, claiming his prize of possession. The cat can sit on that sill for hours staring fixedly at the whisps of blue sky which peek through the rain drops, hoping to see a glimpse of his early evening visitor. She is a pretty tiger cat with the courage to chase the squirrels away from their favorite outdoor perch so she and the cat can stare at each other through the double pane of glass which is all that separates them in this life time. Sounds mr-eowt are heard throughout the house as the cat dashes from one out-leading door to the next proclaiming his desire for freedom. Freedom to become entangled with his beloved? The birds have invaded the yard and the cat is even more determined to defend his territory, to show his prowess to his feline friend. With the coming of milder weather, the opportunities for slipping out a casually opened door will increase until one day, not long from now, the cat will achieve his goal. He is patient. He can wait, at least for now ... | ||
| Catastrophe Citizen Username: Cat Post Number: 38 Registered: 6-2003 |
are you saying I have a rival? | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2663 Registered: 5-2001 |
Catastrophe: I hope you weren't looking for a lasting relationship. The cat is an old hand at playing the field. He will come up to any human, circle his or her ankles a few times, plop down on his side, hug the person's ankle with his front paws, and chomp. The cat insists this is only a love bite and can't understand why so many people end up avoiding him (or approaching him only when they are wearing really thick boots). With other cats, his technique is somewhat different. Since he is an indoor cat (as long as all doors to the outside remain firmly closed) most of his encounters with other felines have been through glass windows. My husband insists that his long seranades to others of his species are attempts at defending his territory but I suspect like so many males of so many species he is just looking to develop a suitable harem. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2682 Registered: 5-2001 |
The cat on my lap has learned from reading MOL that the world outside is full of danger: from vicious dogs attacking poor defenseless pets near the Reserve to giant turkeys invading the yards on Prospect Street, from the constant annoyance of wind chimes clamoring in the gale force winds to neighbors stealing each other’s trash for pre-Passover auction. But, it has been a long winter and the cat has a really bad case of cabin fever. If only the weather would get just a little milder. The cat’s chance finally comes one day when he looks out the window and sees there is no longer any snow on the ground. The outdoor thermometer, which hangs on the wall indoors, finally displays a temperature above freezing (at least in the sun). It is time to hatch the plan of battle. The door to the outside opens and the cat lunges forward, aiming for the rapidly decreasing crack between the edge of the door and the … too late! The door closes firmly. The element of surprise has been lost. The human family members have been placed on their guard. Only the utmost cunning, which the cat has in great abundance, will win the day. The cat lies down in the space just beyond what most would consider in-front-of-the-door and feigns sleep. His ears perk up at the sound of the mail delivery person. Drat! It is followed quickly by the sound of the mail passing through the slot. Couldn’t there be just one letter, one package needing a signature? The sound of an engine comes into his awareness as a car enters the driveway and leaves again, its turn completed. And…then… just when hope has been all but lost … the doorbell rings, a distracted human opens the door, and … swish… The indoor cat is history! Since the cat began plotting his campaign hours ago, the wind has picked up considerably, the temperature has fallen, the remembered shelter of branches and leaves has been removed as part of the family’s spring clean-up. This is not the bright, warm, sunny, outdoors the cat remembers; but, his honor is at stake. The cat can’t admit his error -- especially to the human members of his family. So he lingers, smiling bravely in valiant attempt to convince the human calling to him from the still open door that he, the cat, is exactly where he wants to be. The door to the inside closes and locks. The cat lies down on the too cold stone in the last of the fading once-warming light of the early evening and waits for the opportunity – to sneak back inside. His stomach grumbles and the cat goes hunting. The birds have not yet returned to yard. The mice have scurried at his initial approach. The territory is indisputably his. He wants his kibble! Miserably, the cat maintains his vigil, waiting. The cat hears human footsteps. Here comes a family member bringing the trash out for morning pick-up. Can it be? Yes, in true human carelessness the door has been left partially open. The cat pushes with his thankfully hard head and enters. There is his dinner bowl, full of kibble, but he can’t eat just yet. The warm space in front of the radiator looks so inviting, but he can’t curl up and enjoy its warmth just yet. He has to hide for now, at least until the humans forget he is outside -- only then will he once again be able to enjoy the pleasures of being an indoor cat. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2689 Registered: 5-2001 |
The cat has enjoyed reading the threads in Please Help where mothers of young children have been exchanging ideas for the perfect child’s birthday party. Now the cat is curled up on my lap, paws excitedly pushing my fingers to the appropriate keys as he urges me to write about the birthday party he would have, if he were to have a birthday to celebrate. Since the cat is adopted (from JAC), he doesn’t know when his real birthday is but he knows this gives him the advantage of choosing any day he wants to celebrate his birthday. He can wait until the weather is perfect, the room is decorated just right, and all the feline friends he wants to invite can actually make it. Since, being an indoor cat, he doesn’t really have any feline friends, he imagines inviting all his virtual friends whose pictures he has seen in the cat photo thread. Yes, that should work nicely. He can send all of the invitations by private line, so much easier than looking up numbers in the phone book. The cat tells me that his birthday party will have a Garfield theme. The party bowls, which will be big enough to bathe in, will be tiger yellow with bold orange stripes. The party room will be decorated with helium-filled Garfield balloons hanging from a low ceiling - one for each guest. At the sound of the party horn each guest will stand up on his or her hind legs and bat one of the balloons with extended front paws until like so many slain piñatas each balloon breaks open and catnip candy rains down on the guests. For lunch, he will serve a huge pizza cake with anchovy candles that he and all of his guests can eat. The pizza will be washed down with gallons of water imported from the Catskills, where else? He and his guests will play party games like bite the tail off the field mouse and tug of yarn. Then they will head for the heights as they swing from the chandelier and any other high spot they can find. Once they have exhausted all of their possibilities and themselves, each guest will be able to curl up on a nice soft Garfield pillow that they can keep as a memento of the purr-fect birthday party. | ||
| Catastrophe Citizen Username: Cat Post Number: 39 Registered: 6-2003 |
My invitation must have been lost in the mail. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2701 Registered: 5-2001 |
Those invitations may take a little while to arrive since the cat insisted on addressing them and delivering them himself. | ||
| emmie Citizen Username: Emmie Post Number: 296 Registered: 3-2002 |
Mysita, Pepito and Moma Cat are also watching the mail. They are hoping that the invitations come via Fed Ex...the open door will provide them with a good chance for escape and a little adventure. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2704 Registered: 5-2001 |
Emmie: The cat reads the word "invitations" and slips from my lap and out the open door. His posture tells me that he would whistle if he could. He doesn't fool me for a moment. I know there is a problem. He finally admits that he hasn't quite finished addressing the invitations yet. He hasn't even finished stalking the bird to get the quill to dip in the ink he hasn't gotten yet to write on the invitations he ordered from that nice stationary store on Baker Street but hasn't gotten around to picking up... The cat rambles when he is trying to cover himself but the end result is obvious the cat is a procrastrinator! The cat has looked in the All Cats Almanac and determined that he has at least another month to go before All Cat's [birth]Day when the party will be held -- if the invitations get sent out by then. As I told Catastrophe, I wouldn't hold my breath.  |
