Intersecting Cats

My two cats, Haiku and Taki have gotten better about sharing proximity.  They will both sit in the living room with me, and sometimes, even on the sofa at the same time, but in very different positions: usually Haiku on the end opposite from where I sit, and Taki on the sofa back behind me.  But not always.  

They also can both be found on the bed a the same time, but usually in very different quadrants of the bed, but more recently, both will lie at the head of the bed, on opposite sides.  They may both eat at the same time in the area where their dishes are in the kitchen, but Haiku is apt to eat better, and she is a finicky eater, if her dishes are set away from where Taki is eating.  And, if Haiku is eating, Taki can chase her away from her food simply by approaching, and staring at her, even though she may be 8 inches away.  Obviously, though, she is invading Haiku's space.  This creates a problem, because Taki is way overweight, and gets too much food, and Haiku does not eat enough, and only eats small amounts at any one sitting.

I have been on vacation this week, and doing a lot of computer work and reading, and Taki has taken, more and more, to wanting to sit on my lap.  Which is great, unless Haiku is already there. 

Yesterday, though, Taki was nestled in my lap, and Haiku came into the living room. She obviously wanted on her spot at the other end of the sofa, but as is often her custom, she wanted to walk across my lap to get there.  I encouraged her to just jump on the sofa at the other end, but she did not.  So, I encouraged her to jump on the sofa at my end. And, lo and behold, she did.  She then, very gingerly, walked across my chest so she could get to the other end of the sofa. Taki was not disturbed from her spot on my lap!  This took a great deal of mental energy and courage for Haiku, who is an easily intimidated, shy and retiring creature.  I was so proud of her!  

The Strangler Vine - A Commentary

I recently finished the book The Strangler Vine by M. J.. Carter.  It was a book I found, when I was looking for selections to offer my book club.  I had not heard of it before, and had was not familiar with the author.

The victors write history in their own image and likeness.

I did not especially like this book, nor the main characters Avery and Blake, who, although perhaps trying to be righteous, were too caught up in the intrigue of the East India Company to be good mane. Having said that, if I were in their shoes, I think I would have co-opted in the same way.

I did not like the treachery, the underhandedness, the disrespectful and evilly deceitful behavior of the officers or officials of the East India Company.  Do I believe it true, to some extent, at least.  Do I believe their are implications of the way our own government acts today, yes, and I am not a conspiracy theorist.  

The conquest by England of other lands did result in feudal systems that depended upon subservient labor to produce the wealth of the country.  The plantation system in the American South is just one example.  And even in the 21st Century, there are those who would shamefully re-write history, calling slaves "guest laborers" in textbooks.

The truth is that the East India Company may have begun as a benevolent corporation to work in partnership with the native Indian populations, but soon grew to be more interested in profit, riches and power, than the welfare of the native populations.  

And, while the East India Company's "history" is propagated on the tea, spice, and silk trade, an honest look at history tells us that the opium poppy was a cash crop with profits like no other.

I have read that the real reason that the British wanted access to trade with China was not silk, but opium.

And, in our modern day, there are stories of farmers in the war torn Middle East who forgo food crops for the profits of a cash crop of opium, traded to the West.  The result is that some few get rich, but the poor laborers suffer and they and their families have a diminishing access to locally grown food crops.

Do I believe that only Anglos engage in the misappropriation of power and wealth? No.  Look at Saudi Arabia, look at South Africa, and other African nations, at Southeast Asian nations, and South American nations.

What I do believe is that if we turn a blind eye, and allow history to be written in the perspective of the victor, we will never learn from our past.

Is This Treason?

Okay, so I am not sure what the legal definition of treason is for our country.  The Merriam - Webster Online Dictionary  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treason provides this definition:

1 :  the betrayal of a trust :  treachery

2 :  the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

So, today, when I heard that Donald Trump, Republican Party nominee for the President of the United States, advocated for Russia to hack into and publish the "missing emails" of Hillary Clinton http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html, I had to ask myself if this was treason.  I am not hearing that in the news. So probably, it is not. 

But I find this kind of rhetoric not just offensive, but frightening, full of hate mongering, and bereft of the human rights values that the United States strives to achieve. Is this the face of the United States that I want to represent our country to the world?  Of course not!  Really, would any thinking, caring, compassionate human being want this man to represent us in the world?  Would anyone who cares about our place in the world want this man to represent us in the world?

I am frightened by the possibility that Donald Trump would be elected as President. I have visions of Nazi Germany with the hatred of the leaders of the country for those unlike them, their grasp for power and greed, and the way the citizens of the country did not revolt, no matter what they thought of the policies of the government. 

We have had those years in our country:  Witness the Jim Crow laws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws after the War Between the States. But we have learned, continue to learn, and are in conversation about continuing to need to learn that we are better than that. 

I have to believe that a hate mongering President would take us back 200 years or more in our human rights, civil rights, and moral rights. 

I am for peace. I am for human rights. I am for love.

The United States Census Bureau

I received a piece of mail today from the United States Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/.  I forget that the Census Bureau is a part of the US Department of Commerce https://www.commerce.gov/.  Well, my address was selected to participate in an American Community Survey https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/.  It had a dire warning on the envelope that it is against the law not to respond.

So, respond I did. Tonight. On line.  It was an interesting survey, asking about education, housing, utility and insurance coverage and cost.  It asked some good questions about what the government should know about its citizens.

Interestingly, tonight, at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Lubbock board meeting, we heard a presentation by one of the local priests about charitable giving, charitable works, wealth and poverty. If I got his statistics correct, 1% of the world holds 50% of the wealth.  And 67 individuals own as much as the poorest 1/2 of the world's population. The speaker made the point that the poor in the United States are still usually wealthier than the poor in many other parts of the world.

This should speak to us about the distribution of wealth in the world.  And, with wealth comes power.  And, this is frightening.  It depends upon the character of who holds the wealth!

The survey asked questions about mortgages, home ownership, hot and cold running water and other indoor plumbing questions, amounts paid for utilities, insurance, health insurance coverage, vehicle ownership, education and employment.  All measures of wealth. 

I hope my participation in this survey makes a difference.