Petzalooza!

It's time for you to meet some of our furry companions... First up: Halala Pala, whom we think is at least part Maine Coon cat:

Then there's Miki, the wonder-puppy (who's 18 months old now!):

And how about these two best pals? That's Maka Lea on the left, and Boots on the right:

Here's Kama, who just a year ago was a feral cat who wouldn't come anywhere near us. We trapped him and then very patiently acclimated him to human presence. He's now a mostly-integrated part of our household, with only the occasional regression to his aggressive wild cat persona:

Last but not least: Lea (our oldest field spaniel) and Maka Lea share a food bowl in the morning. The bowl is filled with dog food, which most of the cats disdain – but Maka Lea for some reason seems to enjoy having a piece or two for breakfast. Lea shares her food without any protest, something that neither Mo'i nor Miki would ever even consider.

Good Democrats

One of my faithful readers (Simi L.) sent this piece along. I'm really not sure whether to laugh or cry…

22 Ways to be a good Democrat:

1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.
   
   
2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.
   
   
3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.
   
   
4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding. Ed. And that the “art” purchased with Federal funding actually IS art!
   
   
5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.
   
   
6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.
   
   
7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.
   
   
8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th-graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.
   
   
9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.
   
   
10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.
    
    
11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make The Passion of the Christ for financial gain only.
    
    
12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.
    
    
13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.
    
    
14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee, Thomas Edison and A.G. Bell.
    
    
15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.
    
    
16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.
    
    
17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.
    
    
18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.
    
    
19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag queens, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.
    
    
20. You have to believe that illegal Democratic Party funding by the Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest of the United States.
    
    
21. You have to believe that it's okay to give Federal workers the day off on Christmas Day, but it's not okay to say “Merry Christmas.”
    
    
22. Last but not least: You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.

Laughing is much better for me, though…

Unequal Tomatoes...

All tomatoes are not created equal.

Out here in California, the tomatoes we can buy in our stores and vegetable stands – even those very expensive tomatoes marked “Vine Ripened!” – have the flavor and texture of a piece of slightly moistened polystyrene foam. We use them on our sandwiches and in our guacamole mostly to honor and help remember the good tomatoes we've had in the past.

This morning I had a tomato experience of the delightful variety: a perfectly ripe New Jersey tomato, at room temperature, sliced in a sandwich. The bread was toasted Dudley's potato bread (quite possibly the best commercial bread on the planet), with mayonnaise and a little fresh tarragon. Heaven. Sheer heaven.

And I have three more of these perfect crimson orbs, sitting on my kitchen table. Tomato sirens, torturing me with their voluptuous beauty and promises of exotic pleasures. The four temptresses are a gift from my parents, in celebration of my birthday and advanced age.

New Jersey tomatoes are the only reason I can think of why America shouldn't give that pathetic excuse for a state to the first taker. It would make a terrific “New World” colony for any number of countries – Libya, North Korea, Iran, or France, for example. Just imagine what lessons those countries could learn from New Jersey's financial black holes, ecological disasters, political corruption, and civil incompetence! So long as I could still visit my parents (who would most likely still choose to live in a French New Jersey), I'd be happy to let another country have whatever they could find in New Jersey.

Except New Jersey tomatoes. I want to keep those tomatoes American!