Caturday Reads: What Happens to a Cat Dinner Deferred?
Posted: May 19, 2012 Filed under: just because 64 Comments
Kitty, it’s the tainted food supply causing the hold-up. Mommy has to spend extra time trying to find dinner that isn’t poison.
Morning news junkies…and cat enthusiasts! A little vintage Lolcat for you to get things started.
Also, a crazy cat lady book recommendation. Authoress Michèle Sacquin is curator at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France–and apparently cat historian on the side. I bought this hardcover a month or so ago at the MFAH (Museum of Fine Arts–Houston). It’s translated from French to English…I think there’s some quirk *gained* in the translation! And from what I can tell of the last page, there’s also a version out there available in Italian, which I’d love to locate along with the French. Anyhow, currently The Well-Read Cat is right here with me at my desk as I type this, but it travels regularly to and fro, between my kitchen and coffee tables and nightstand.
Now for some linky-business to go along with your morning cuppa…enjoy!
- This first one is inspiring and yet exhausting just to read: “Tamae Watanabe, who on May 16, 2002 at the age of 63 years became the oldest woman to climb Mount Everest, smashed her own record on Saturday, reaching the peak of the world’s highest mountain at the age of 73, Kyodo news service reported.”
- Extra, extra. Corn Belt Bee Kills and Genetically Engineered Crops. Read all about it:
No farmer in their right mind wants to poison pollinators. When I spoke with one Iowa corn farmer in January and told him about the upcoming release of a Purdue study confirming corn as a major pesticide exposure route for bees, his face dropped with worn exasperation. He looked down for a moment, sighed and said, “You know, I held out for years on buying them GE seeds, but now I can’t get conventional seeds anymore. They just don’t carry ’em.”
- Ag Department says healthier food costs less than junk food. I think I’ll have to take a closer look at that study. Wapo’s writeup makes no mention of special dietary needs and food intolerances, as if the poor are immune to such things and only the wealthy’s blood and organs have time to disagree with what they consume. Healthy foods cost less, my health nut butt! Plus, frankly most of our food supply is tainted with the complicity of Congress and our government agencies, so the US Ag department’s designation of fruits, veggies, and proteins that are “healthy” is suspect to me to begin with.
- Speaking of which… After reading this Baylor College of Medicine Psychiatry provisional abstract on Vitamin D deficiency raising psychosis risk in adolescents, I propose adequate sunlight and Vitamin D3 supplements for the poor, the teenaged, and the mentally unwell. And, really just about everybody…! In fact, if you bother taking any vitamin supplement besides one for any specific deficiency you have, make sure it is D3 because D3 is the only one’s that seems to clinically make much of a difference (that link will take you to a long-ish Time Mag article from fall but one that I like to point to on Vitamin D et al. and worth the read!)
- I have no words for this despicableness:
Perryton High — located just south of the Oklahoma border — has an annual “Red Ribbon Day” in which half the students portray Jews in the Nazi era and are forced to obey any commands by students or teachers and be subjected to random discipline, the suit says.
- John W. Smart: Who Are These Bedbugs? I don’t like the source, i.e. Fox Nutsack, or its Fox Nutsack take on it. However, I’m glad John Smart gave a heads up on this story, because otherwise I probably would have had no idea Obama was inserting factoids about himself into past presidents’ bios. I’m trying to believe that compared to everything else at stake right now, this really is harmless, but it still seems a little odd, unnecessary, and insecure on the Administration’s part. They are fighting a GOP stuck in the 1800s, if that. Really, stop with the Obama vanity bios already, and give us some public sector gains to talk about. Cook this election up.
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as paraphrased by moi: Babies of Color are the Majority. Is it okay that I huzzah’d at that? Or will that get me drafted into an appletini summit (I know the WH ignoramus/advisors probably think I’m too girly for a beer summit…)? At any rate, the Texas Tribune has graphed out a nifty state map of the population rations among children.
The “underground” is always with us. For better and often for worse, it’s how marginalized populations tend to survive —often not very well. (Think of the old, the young, the formerly incarcerated, or foreign.) In recessions – surprise, surprise– “irregular” employment grows. Consider recent stories from Greece, about wageless public “workers” swopping skills, and trading food for teaching. Austrian economist, Friedrich Schneider, an expert in underground economies, has documentd a surge in shadow economy activity in 2009 and ’10 in Europe. University of Wisconsin-Madison economist Edgar Feige has been doing his best to follow what’s happened here.
- Junior High Journalist Spotlights Violence in Schools…will Obama listen? respond? blink?
- Ok, now that I’ve covered some items holding Obama’s feet to the fire…it’s time to give the GOP the big ol’ partisan-and-proud-of-it finger. ThinkProgress has a chart that shows Spending, Taxes, And Deficits Are All Lower Today Than When Obama Took Office. Mitt the Meanie can’t bully the facts, so he will just ignore them.
- Jump Rope Physics from SciAm. Now, first and foremost I’m a bicycle enthusiast (“Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race.” –H.G. Wells), but for GoRed Women’s heart health month this past February, I also procured from Tarjay two pairs of jump ropes made all fancy for grown-ups, one for myself and one for my mom. See, I’m all about the easy cardio that’s more about PLAY than cardio, ’cause that’s just how I roll. Enter bikes and jump ropes. Throw in some Saturday morning science, and we’re pretty much in girl geek heaven.
The play that “changed American theatre forever,” according to The New York Times, started with a few short lines from a long poem.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?Langston Hughes wrote the poem, and Lorraine Hansberry was inspired – both by the poem and by her own real-life experience – to write A Raisin in the Sun, the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. Today, on what would have been her 82nd birthday, and we’re celebrating Hansberry’s groundbreaking work.
A Raisin in the Sun (Amazon.com)
Okay, you know what to do in the comments, Sky Dancers. Have a lovely weekend!
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Reblogged this on Let Them Listen.
Such an interesting set of things to read with my coffee! I woke up so late. I’m exhausted and I have to recharge quickly.
This was a spectacular set of links. Off to read them now…I woke up late too, but since I have an OPM staying over (other people’s munchkin) I am trying to get some time to myself to read these links.
I propose adequate sunlight and Vitamin D3 supplements for the poor, the teenaged, and the **mentally unwell**
Does that include Republicans in general? (mentally unwell)
GOP pols in general are criminally mental 😉
perhaps Congress could just use a better sunshine-disinfectant.
You have a point there Wonk and on the sunshine-disinfectant. LOL!
I’m confused (rhetorical) as to why this story is buried in the Environment page of the LA Times:
Federal judge blocks National Defense Authorization Act provision
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-national-defense-authorization-ruling-20120518,0,2046039.story
I had posted this yesterday at another blog, but no one cared, because it takes a way a reason for handwringing and finger pointing at Obama.
The House tried to amend the bill and remove the provision on Thursday,,but the GOP/TP voted it down, Bad GOP! 🙂
I just can’t get enough of “O” says this, or “O” does that bullshit!
Meanwhile the shady tactics of the GOP, the Ryan Budget, the war on women, goes untouched because maybe, perhaps, could be that Michele O is adding to the “conspiracy” by introducing fresh vegetables into the public sector.
It’s one thing to criticize Obama but another to purposely overlook the egregious behavior of the GOP and its radical arm of the party by simply omitting any dialogue from that quarter whose hatred outshines any form of discussion that would effect the entire nation.
Pat…..I’m totally bumfuzzled by the effort, especially from those people who I once thought were actually disgruntled Dems/Liberals, to paint everything concerning Obama or the Dem party in the worst possible way, knowing who will win if Obama and the Dems in Congress lose.
The portrayal of Obama as a Fascist, who is going to use provision 1021, even though he issued a signing statement saying he wouldn’t use it (I know, that’s controversial too), to bring the USA under a Soviet Union style government. a gulag where FEMA Camps will house those who resist the spell of Obama, is pure science fiction, birther, prison planet nonsense. I’m just totally amazed by it all
The very same people who, if they are what they say they are, should be up in arms over what’s happening in GOP state legislatures all across this country, are basically silent. No concern about the access to Abortion or the restrictions on abortion or the challenge to contraception as a woman’s health issue. No concern that L/G civil liberties are being thrown up to majority vote or that the gains already won by L/G’s are being taken away. No worry about the GOP State-by-state assault on workers and workers unions. They are silent on these issues, but they’re hand wringing, to the point of distraction, over section 1021?
Obama is in a damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t position on almost every issue. He was raked over the coals for not supporting Gay Marriage and when he finally offered his support he was raked over the coals for not supporting it correctly. When I attempted to point out that Ted Olsen & David Boies position that these onerous State Amendments and State Laws will be used when this goes before SCOTUS and that they believed Obama’s support of gay marriage would aid the cause, I was bascially ignored or rebuffed as an Obot. 🙂 Everytime I attempt to offer a counter to anything, I’m labeled as an Obot and shamed, not to mention that I’ve also been called “Crazy” and “fucked up”. You know that might make me cry! 🙂
Oh, well, another day, another battle
Pat and Mouse, Count me in as one who has had enough of the O bullshit. Claiming to be some kind of liberal while remaining silent about the GOP craziness is just wrong and a lie.
Count me in, too, Pat, ANon, and Ralph. The Obama hate has gone way too far. He is a major disappointment as President but the GOP alternative is the real threat.
And ANon, you are one of the least “crazy” “f**ked-up” bloggers around. On the contrary, I always find you to be a voice of sanity ( along with Pat, Ralph, and other posters here and at TW ).
Peace, everyone. Try to enjoy a nice weekend!
:And ANon, you are one of the least “crazy” “f**ked-up” bloggers around. On the contrary, I always find you to be a voice of sanity”
Thank you, 🙂
Count me in too. I guess that’s why we all ended up here.
I ended up here partly for that reason and I always read and loved your economics posts. 😉
Great post by Chris Hedges on Truthdig about the win: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_victory_for_all_of_us_20120518//
That’s so great! I saw the headline, but didn’t realize that was Chris Hedges’ suit. Finally a victory for the good guys.
But why does the decision apply only to journalists? I’m confused. I’m going to have to go study up on this.
It rules the entire section unconstitutional on first amendment grounds, but it applies to everyone.
Austin jobless rate drops to 5.5 percent
http://www.statesman.com/business/austin-jobless-rate-drops-to-5-5-percent-2364098.html
I wonder how many of the ones who fell off the roles were folks whose unemployment expired or just gave up.
Did you have a chance to check out the Underground workers link uptop yet?
I live in Austin and unemployment is not much of a problem here. The strip malls who only had a few tenants are now filling up. Of course, most remained full because we were never hit very hard by the recession.
Home building has also started back up and the same is true of the Dallas suburbs.
No I didn’t wonk. Will check it out.
Thanks for the Caturday lineup. Also thanks for the mention of Raisin in the Sun, it gave me something to add to my reading list,
Though I will admit that Barack Obama has been less than a “dazzling” leader, what I cannot bring myself to fully grasp is the “neck to neck” tie in the polls with Mitt Romney.
Mitt Romney? Are you kidding me?
This lackluster challenger who only gained the nomination due to opposition having been AWOL from the Cuckoo’s Nest”
The same guy who can’t keep his lies straight? A man surrounded by neocon castoffs from the Bush administration? Who has genuflected on both knees to the Religious Right? The champion “flip flopper” of all time is now in neck and neck race for the WH who vows to dismantle the government and purge Planned Parenthood altogether?
Are things that bad that Mitt Romney finds himself this much closer to the Oval Office even if he is one of the worst human beings on the planet?
I must be living in a different dimension if Mitt Romney’s mantle of ineptitude is being measured for the position of leader of the free world.
Wake me when this travesty is over.
Have you checked the Gallup polling sample? They are using a sample containing around 5-6% more white people than the electorate was in 2008. That ain’t gonna match reality.
Um, Pat? Post Clinton (Bill), doesn’t it seem like ineptitude is a job requirement? At least for the male candidates. Romney actually has more executive experience than our current occupant had coming in. Admittedly, it’s a record that would get him fired from being municipal dogcatcher in my world. All I’m saying is that the bar for adequate eptitude was lowered to the floor long before the Mittbot showed up.
Much to digest this Caturday morning, dear Mona. Great mix, much like a jolt of caffeine. Brava!
Love vintage kitties. Check out this page of Harry Pointer’s Brighton Cats: http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNPointerCats.htm
And a great big Thank You (NOT) to Monsanto, Dow & Bayer for destroying world food supply. Who needs bees when they can get their scientists to manufacture self pollinating crops, right? When I heard about Obama’s “new” food policy (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18119024) yesterday, which will be discussed at the G8 summit, my first thought was MONSANTO. I had to do some digging this AM & found this: http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/2012/05/monsanto-announces-50-million.html This blogger, GMOPundit, supports the use of GM crops. Of course, the altruistic Monsanto is going to help feed the starving in Africa. This piece from Oxfam has a bit of a different take on the program: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/18/4499917/oxfam-g8-food-security-alliance.html
I’ll check out your link on the new study by USDA on healthier foods being cheaper, but here’s a link to an NPR story that I heard: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/16/152823181/how-to-make-healthy-eating-easier-on-the-wallet-change-the-calculation Basically they are saying that nutritionally (good calories, protein, vitamins, etc) vegetables, beans & fruits are cheaper than junk food to combat hunger & poor health.
Thanks for much to ponder, read & digest this AM.
Here’s what Mrs. 0 needs to be working on — but since she is blaming the victims for their poor eating habits — shows that she is just another shill for Monsanto.
http://www.ajcn.org/content/79/4/537.long
“The consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group. HFCS now represents > 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the United States. Our most conservative estimate of the consumption of HFCS indicates a daily average of 132 kcal for all Americans aged ≥ 2 y, and the top 20% of consumers of caloric sweeteners ingest 316 kcal from HFCS/d.. . . . . calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric overconsumption. Thus, the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. ”
Those so called healthy foods — veggies, beans & fruit are lethal to me and to others who are fructose intolerant.
Then there is high fructose CORN syrup in just about everything — made from the monsanto corn waste. Also corn syrup is hiding by other names in nearly all food — even the so called healthy food MRS 0 uses on her religious crusades. Mrs 0’s crusade is rather like the “just so no” campaign by Mrs Ray-gun — largely useless words.
What is healthy food for some is unhealthy or lethal food for others.
Then there is the pet food — read the labels of some of the snacks — often dextrose or other hidden fructose is added. Why? In case a human tastes the junk?
Healthy food?? read labels of all the food — fresh veggies?? How much of the stuff if genetically modified to stay “fresh” and in the process loses a lot of the nutrition.
The most dangerous ingredient is the Monsanto crap — which they call corn.
The fructose Corn syrup in the diet of most Americans is not healthy for the liver. To digest this toxic waste the liver has to produce an enzyme. I’ve not seen the data for the percentage of the typical food eaten by Americans that contains HFCS but I the number is very high. Based on my reading of labels on food packages. Anyway — the liver is already being stressed by working to help us manage with day to day toxic stuff in our environment.
So why isn’t Mrs. 0 mentioning HFCS????? She sounds so much safer as a 1950s housewife — worried about the food all her children (Americans) eat.
Meanwhile Monsanto is killing bees and poisoning the world — and donating money to both political parties.
Neither candidate is a saint and both of the wives are self centered, self involved 1950 style wives.
Thankfully I do NOT have to vote for either and I would never vote for Romney who is perhaps the worst liar of the two — but I’d have to see a score card to know for sure. Both guys hate women and are working hard to return women to the 1800s.
Neither guy is an environmentalist — both answer to their corporate masters.
Neither guy wants to protect and defend the constitution — both have poor records.
Both really don’t care that Americans are being fed poison which is called food by Monsanto.
/rant
You go, girl. Yes, the food supply is seriously compromised, maybe beyond repair. And, Monsanto & their political shills are helping to spread the poison around the world. Profits over people – too bad all the multinational Corporate Persons just don’t change their mottoes.
One more link for any cat/dog caretakers on here about the Diamond pet food recalls: http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/the-plot-thickens-clues-to-big-issues.html
Unfortunately many of the premium pet foods, originally made by small, family owned businesses, have sold out to mega-corporations. Quality has been affected, especially since they share suppliers of ingredients. Since we know human food isn’t always processed in the most sanitary of conditions, is it any wonder that pet food manufacturers, in many cases, operate under more stringent guidelines?
Chen on flight to US with wife & 2 children: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/19/us-china-activist-us-idUSBRE84I03N20120519
I’ve been attending to the pieces saying healthy food is cheaper than non-healthy. (Or, eating healthy ultimately cheaper, maybe some subtle difference there). I’m gonna hafta pay some closer attention. It has been my own feeling, my own personal impression that when I eat more properly, more healthy food, I spend less money. Is this because healthy food is more satisfying, more beneficial, thus requiring less of it? Am I simply under a mistaken impression? It’s an interesting question, and I intend to do further personal observation of the matter.
I think if you buy real food, like fruits and vegetables, etc. and skip the processed foods, it ultimately could be cheaper.
Healthy food is cheaper if you compare based on nutrition per dollar. For example, $2 of apples or green beans, or lentils or rice buys you far more vitamins, minerals, and protein than does $2 of potato chips, french fries, or candy bars.
I don’t know, I think healthy food has to be more expensive just because it’s so low in calories. I mean if you have to eat 1200 calories a day or more and a cup of berries is 60 calories or so and a head of lettuce is 100 or so (and $2 or so), trying to fill a significant portion of your calorie intake needs on fruits and vegetables adds up. I guess frozen veggies are a little cheaper, but still it works out to about 150 calories for a 10 oz box at around $1.50. Not cheap.
I don’t consider vegetables and fruit to be the only healthy foods. You need protein too. Personally, I don’t each much meat. I like beans and rice and pasta. I eat natural peanut butter. All I know is that if I just buy basic simple food, it adds up to less than if I buy packaged food or prepared food.
I’m living on a very small amount of money these days, and I never buy anything prepared. As for calories, I don’t think most of us have trouble filling our needs–1200 calories is a very small amount. You must be tiny.
if you take into consideration special dietary needs, let’s just say gluten intolerance for instance, or if you have to follow a low-FODMAPS diet. It’s not cheap. And, that’s not even getting into the issue of our entire food supply being polluted by GM crops…
Honestly all grocery and food items are so expensive. Every time I go to Walmart, just for under 20 items it could be 60 to 80 bucks.
Happy Birthday, Lorraine Hansberry.
I love “Raisin in the Sun,” “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.”
Why, yes, I was a theater major, why do you ask?
Great roundup as ususal, Mona; you’re the best.
How are your two girls?
Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has left China for the U.S.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18131849
Always love your Caterday Reads, Wonk, and today’s is no exception.
It seems like your mood has brightened since Lily and Rue came to live at your house. I am so glad for you. Where are the latest pics of the kittehs?
Kitties are the bomb 🙂
“Where are the latest pics of the kittehs?”
Beata, are you on facebook? 🙂
As if we didn’t have enough propaganda available for consumption now.
Congressmen Seek To Lift Propaganda Ban
WTF?!!
They’re already passing nutwing opinions off as truth (weapons of mass destruction, links to Al-Queda, etc.,) Hate to see what it’s like when they use the actual propaganda.
Morning …
I need to ask if the Sky Dancing Community can help me with something very personal.
Ang Dawa Sherpa was brutally attacked by Police in Kathmandu on the 16th of may during a protest against the three party (gov) for Indigenous rights. Ang Dawa is my Lama’s wife. She has been a journalist and activist for Sherpa Rights at the United Nations and is now a member of the Nepali Constitution writing committee and a Sherpa representative to its newly formed parliament. She is in the hospital in extremely bad condition. My lama, one of their sons, and their daughter are here in the US. I need to raise money to send at least Lama Tsultrim to Kathmandu and I’m trying to send the other children and help raise money for her hospital bill. She is devout Buddhist and one of the most amazing women that I have ever met. She is the very living and breathing example of compassion. If any of you can help me at all, please donate via Sky Dancing and I will send the money to her family so they can be with her and we can get her the best possible care. She is an extremely important part of a nascent democracy and has a long record of being a human rights and native rights activist.
The plain tickets are about $1500. I have no idea what the hospital bill will look like.
Thank you for any thing you can offer up.
Please keep this beautiful spirit and woman in your thoughts!
{Sounds of some $$ folded into tin.}
Thank you. She is in critical condition. She was marching against the 11 state agreement that disenfranchised indigenous people of Nepal. She is committed to 13 states that allow the indigenous people to have their own states rather than be folded into other states.
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/2012-05-18/prachandas-grand-retreat:-nay-to-11-state-model-for-nepal
http://www.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2012/05/19/all-eyes-on-the-street/
She is a member of the CA and represents all of the indigenous peoples of Nepal.
I’m going to try to write about this tomorrow. I’m having to grade bunch of stuff right now.
Dear God. How horrible. There have been so many disturbances in Nepal lately. People like her are the only hope.
The strength this woman has is amazing: Many learn on Facebook that woman with flesh-eating disease may face more amputations – BostonHerald.com
This is a really good question. Charlie Pierce’s take is that we’re just cheering for big money and that’s a very bad thing.
Why Is America So Happy for Facebook?
This gentleman is a huge challenge to the status quo. From The Guardian …
Greek leftist leader Alexis Tsipras: ‘It’s a war between people and capitalism’
Greece’s eurozone fate may now be in the hands of the 37-year-old political firebrand and his Syriza party
Greece is going to be teaching us again. Thanks for the link.
From other sources — many people (young people) aren’t getting enough food and Physical Education classes are being scaled back. I’m wondering what’s happening to the brains of the under nourished people? Couldn’t be good.
Malnutrition is a serious problem all over now. It’s not good.
As for Greece, it’s about time for a shakeup in the status quo, before we’re all serfs.
Cat dinner deferred?? In my house — stuff lands on the floor until fresh food is added to the bowl. Stuff=cell phones, clocks, anything that makes a loud clunk.
If only cats actually ruled the world. All of us would be much better off.
It would be a purrrrfect world.