A Few Observations While We Wait For Congress To Get Its Act Together

By Sniffles

In case you're thinking that the US is just beyond repair — what with the Trumpsters practically beating people up at school board meetings, at restaurants, and on planes, and Congress making sausage in broad daylight, and the media doing its usual (sadly) less-than-stellar job — would it feel better to know that folks in Canada are acting silly, too?

People in Alberta are scaring the bejesus out of doctors there, screaming about masks, demanding vaccine exemptions, and acting like the generally racist pigs that they are. (Yes, we know there are racists in other provinces, but Alberta is particularly heavy with MAGA wannabes.) 

But that's not all. While today is Canada's first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation — inviting all citizens to reflect on the nation's terrible record of cultural genocide at First Nations residential schools — one news outlet decided that PM Trudeau, who worked hard to make the day a reality, wasn't observing it properly. "He's on vacation in British Columbia!" they bleated. Um, no — he's meeting with school survivors. Yes, the Canadian media can be just as bad as ours.

Depressing, no? But here are two pieces of news to cheer us up: Anthony Fauci is getting an honorary degree from McGill University tomorrow. And indoor sports and concert venues in Quebec will now allow full capacity for events — provided you show proof of vaccination, of course. Yes, we can imagine a few squeals from the passport-averse outside Montreal's Bell Centre — but compared to the nightmare that's Alberta, Quebec is doing very well. We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: McGill! McGill! The school on the hill!)

Oh, There's Nothing Halfway About The Iowa Deterioration

By Hubie and Bertie

What a coincidence that the Trump press-secretary-who-never-held-a-press-briefing Stephanie Grisham has revealed in her new book (which we will, of course, not buy) that Benedict Donald needed a "Music Man" who would play him show tunes to hose him down when he was in a rage. We cats were just thinking about Iowa!

That's because one of our favorite pols-turned-pundits has weighed in on the anti-vaxx craziness in rural Iowa and the toll it's taking on healthcare workers there. (Not to mention the patients themselves, who are dying.) "This is actually quite sad for me," Howard Dean tweeted. "I spent a year in Iowa and visited all 99 counties. Iowans were engaging, well-educated and thoughtful. Why has the state become so different?" 

We have some theories.

First, you can probably trace this phenomenon all the way back to 1976, when Ronald Reagan — the harbinger of today's GOP Awful — first began his ascent in the Iowa Republican caucuses. Although members of the so-called Republican establishment — Bush Senior, Bob Dole, Smirky Bush — prevailed in several contests since, if you look at the list, you can see right-wing idiots hovering in second place and then slowly climbing the ladder to first: Pat Robertson in 1988, Pat Buchanan in 1996, Steve Forbes and Alan Keyes in 2000, Mike Huckabee in 2008, Rick Santorum in 2012 and Ted Cruz in 2016.

It's like watching the spread of a cancer tumor. The Iowa GOP was inexorably giving itself over to the crazies — and now, the process is complete, and the cancer is fatal.

But informed and interested voters can overcome that, right? Well, maybe not. Public education in Iowa has declined over the years: Today, 34 schools in 19 districts across the state fall into the federal "low performing" category. Enrollment in higher education has dropped at double the national rate (although this is probably partially pandemic-related). But Iowa Republicans have waged war on public education for years now, and it's still going full-bore.

Add to that the fact that The Des Moines Register, a good paper, used to have statewide distribution and served as a reliable base of information for voters. Thanks to their cutbacks over the last 30 years — closing news bureaus outside of Des Moines and eliminating carrier routes in rural areas — no more. The decline and fracturing of journalism has consequences.

So, wild conspiracy theories, racism and white resentment can trump education, engagement and information? In Iowa, apparently the answer is yes. We cats HISS.

Republicans In Ruins

By Miss Kubelik

If the word "disarray" began with an "R," journalists would never write another line about Democrats being in — well, you know. They love the alliteration so much, and it lets them do another lazy story about how our side is consumed with infighting.

Well, political haggling over Build Back Better is nothing compared to what the Republican Party is going through now. The split was underlined tonight by a "60 Minutes" interview in which Liz Cheney went after Kevin McCarthy and the insurrectionists in terms that the media would go nuts over if any of us said them about our fellow Democrats. McCarthy, she said, should be ashamed of himself. So true.

She also listed the many, many issues on which we seriously disagree with her. (Sorry, Liz, but waterboarding is torture.) So we're still not sending her any money. But we wish her well in her campaign to defend the Constitution. And since repealing marriage equality is obviously next on the right wing's agenda, it's significant that she had the balls to say tonight that she was wrong to oppose it. Good for her. We cats PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Survival Of Democracy Edition

By Zamboni

Ah, Friday night! We can all relax — except for those humans who have to work tomorrow, and for cats, who never work. But it's the end of a busy week, so we have some thoughts. Here they are.

Right wingers up in Canada are bitching about a snap election that cost $600 million to produce similar results to the election in 2019. First, if Erin O'Toole and the Conservatives had won, they wouldn't be saying a word. Second, do you know how much the Cyber Ninjas' "audit" of Arizona cost? And how many more Republican-controlled states are rushing to uselessly spend money doing the same? Please.

We don't know about you, but we love waking up to headlines that Trump lost...again. How many times is it now — 78? We've lost count.

We would comment on Marjorie Taylor Greene's latest shenanigans, except she's been removed from all committees and marginalized, so we're not going to give oxygen to her otherwise. If you love her so much, you can look her up on the Google machine.

By the way, on the subject of self-determination, it's worth noting that the Quebec National Assembly — which styles itself as a "national assembly" even though it's the legislature of a Canadian provincial government, and which has traditionally gone against the status quo for that very reason — has just unanimously passed a bill outlawing anti-COVID-vaccine demonstrations within 50 meters of a hospital, school, or healthcare or vaccination clinic. So there.

Finally, why can nobody on the other side in the US (the other side being anti-democracy, un-American autocrats) spell? Lauren Boebert tweeted today that she wanted to "imeach" Biden. Gee, nobody proofreads any more, do they? We cats HISS.

Make America The Greatest Again

By Baxter

We cats saw most of Ken Burns's eight-hour PBS documentary on Muhammad Ali this week. Eight hours! With that amount of time devoted to a single human, it would have been nice if Burns had included a little less about Ali himself — we've seen enough boxing to last our nine lifetimes — and a little more about what he meant culturally. Because the story of Ali morphing from despised draft dodger to national hero is a microcosm of contemporary America.

Well, never mind. Maybe Burns covered that in the first episode, which we missed. But we saw nearly all of the last three episodes, and one thing leaped out, big time. Ali's behavior at the height of his fame and talents — the Sixties and early Seventies — was so very Trumpy.

Or maybe Benedict Donald has been mimicking Ali. Whatever: The similarities are striking.

As even his biggest fans admitted to Burns, Ali was cruel. He belittled his opponents constantly, even calling handsome boxers like Joe Frazier "ugly" and stupid. He gave them nicknames. He was always unpredictable in interviews, which guaranteed compelling copy. If journalists disliked his conduct, they still couldn't afford not to cover him because he'd never fail to say something that would make a good headline or lede. (All in the prehistoric era before the Internet and social media. Imagine!)

So, out there in America, a lot of white people hated Ali: because of his brashness, his calling things like he thought they were, his refusal to go to Vietnam — and make no mistake, because of his race. How interesting that a black man trash-talking and mocking opponents was anathema to them — but let a white guy from Queens do the same things today, and it's not only acceptable, but the MAGAts love him for it. "Trump speaks for me!"

Perhaps it's better that Trump, who cheated his way through the University of Pennsylvania, is too much of a dummkopf to speak in poetry. And he's too old and fat to float like a butterfly. But what he's done to this country continues to sting like a bee. We cats HISS.

And Again!

 

(IMAGE: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution)

Luckovich Strikes Again

 

Timely commentary, since the US has just surpassed the estimated death toll of the 1918 influenza epidemic. Will Abbott, DeSantis, et. al., be made to pay at the ballot box next year? It might depend on whether they kill enough of their voters by Election Day. We cats HISS.

(IMAGE: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Bien Fait, Canada

By Sniffles

Canadian broadcasters are projecting a Liberal win tonight, but it's unclear whether it will be a majority or minority. Considering how much the talking heads have dumped on Justin Trudeau this election, we cats consider it a victory to even have whispers of a majority happening now.

It wouldn't be unheard of, however, if some of the western provinces surprise. The COVID pandemic is so terrible in Alberta and Saskatchewan right now that we wouldn't be shocked if the Liberals rack up some interesting numbers there.

Also, the other issue that's resonating tonight is climate change. Young voters are having their say.

So, more tomorrow. In the meantime, PMJT will still be PMJT come tomorrow. We cats PURR.

UPDATE, September 21: Talking heads are calling it the status quo election, and big-picture-wise, it was. But look at some of the individual ridings. The Conservative Party lost two seats in Alberta, with a third race too close to call. "There's such a symbolic value when a riding shifts in Alberta," a pollster said. We cats PURR.

Why Vote?

 

This argument transcends countries and political systems. In fact, it's timeless! We cats PURR.

Tomorrow's The Day

By Hubie and Bertie

On the eve of the 2021 Canadian election, let's take a trip into the past.

Specifically, the fabulous White House state dinner that the Obamas threw for Justin and Sophie Trudeau in March of 2016. We knew the 44th President was on his way out — but we had great Hillary Hopes for the future, and had no idea of the nightmare that awaited. Still, we look back on that dinner fondly.

We're also thinking even farther back. Especially after we saw a conversation on Twitter about how Trumpy Canadian men find Justin Trudeau enraging. Said one, "There is something about Justin Trudeau that infuriates weak men, and men who seem unsettled in their masculinity. It is a psychosexual thing, a fury of envy. It is especially strong among men who don't have what it takes to partner with beautiful, strong women."

What a blast from the past. Pierre Trudeau, a longtime Canadian Prime Minister whose attractiveness was based (we think) in intelligence, inspired the same outrage. But his contemporaries — if they were men of sharp intellect who were secure in long-term relationships with strong women — thought Pierre was the bee's knees.

As Jimmy Carter, husband of Rosalynn, has written: "There are multiple entries in my personal White House diaries that refer to Pierre Trudeau, almost every one ending with 'I like him very much,' or words to that effect. My first visit with him was in January 1977, when I had been in office only a few days. It was a state visit, and his beautiful young wife, Margaret, came with him.

"The subsequent big news story in The Washington Post the following day was that she had worn a very short skirt to a formal banquet. I agreed with Rosalynn and Pierre that it was very attractive. To ease any mutual discomfort, he and I agreed that we would approve of Margaret's dress if the Canadians would approve our daughter Amy reading a book during the Prime Minister's official toast at the banquet."

Canada, you have a tremendous and accomplished family representing you to the world. We hope you keep them. We cats PURR.

A Year Ago Today

The best way to honor RBG is to expand the Court. That is all.

This Is The Only Ronald Reagan Movie We Can Stand

Today we cats had the opportunity to be reminded that there's one — and only one — film with Ronald Reagan in it that doesn't make us hack up a hairball. (Dark Victory doesn't count.) Even if the title isn't wry commentary on your current reality, you'll enjoy this movie. Jack Carson, Patricia Neal, Edward Arnold — what's not to love? We cats still and always will hate Ronald Reagan, but we PURR.

Will Democracy Survive? Will Grammar?

A quick note for our friends on cable TV news: Clothing is hung. People — even Mike Pence — are hanged. Unless, of course, the Trump insurrectionists fail, and he escapes with his life. We cats HISS.

Bad Luck

By Miss Kubelik

By our reckoning, Joe Biden had a pretty good political week. The media won't say so, because they're hell-bent on gloom and doom for the Democrats (to prove that they're not "liberal"). But Gavin Newsom resoundingly defeated the California recall, which paved the way for an effective strategy for 2022, the world learned (once again) just how bonkers Donald Trump is, and now, the GOP's leading candidate for Governor of New York says he has leukemia.

Maybe it'll make a difference, maybe it won't. Still and all, it's not a headline you want to see if you're a Republican.

As if that weren't enough, the "Justice for J6" rally in Washington today was a total bust.

Now, you might argue that Republicans like Kevin McCarthy are relieved. None of their treasonous firebrands deigned to attend, and only a few hundred people showed up (and the Capitol survived unscathed). But it just goes to show you that these folks are way, way outside the mainstream. The fact that the GOP pretends to clutch them to their bosoms is, in the end, irrelevant.

How long will the Republican Party be able to get by without this contradiction ripping it apart? We don't know, but we hope that next year's midterms will sound the death knell for them. If California was any indication, all Democrats have to do is tie every single member of the GOP to Donald Trump. Benedict Donald will do the rest. That will make us cats PURR.

Alberta Apocalypse

By Zamboni

The polls in the Canadian federal election are neck-and-neck between the Liberals and the Tories, so tight that even the US has noticed. (The True North isn't on American journalists' radar screens very much.) But something happened last night that may shake the race up a bit.

Alberta, a mess of a province that we've blogged about before, declared a public health emergency. COVID-19 is so out of control there — thanks to some very DeSantis-y responses to the pandemic — that Tory Premier Jason Kenney was forced to reimpose lockdown-like restrictions.

Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to go to a restaurant. No more than 50 people at weddings and funerals. Social distancing at outdoor events. Mandatory work-from-home. But muh freedom!

All this and more, because Kenney and his Conservative provincial government have tried to out-Trump Trump in pandemic mismanagement. They lifted restrictions too early in the summer and opposed vaccine passports, and now, Albertans are paying the price. "I've never seen a government this incompetent," Mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary said.

You'll be interested to know that in the past, federal Tory leader Erin O'Toole has lavishly praised Kenney's COVID approach. Today, though, he ducked questions from reporters and refused to even mention Kenney's name. (Until now, they were political besties.)

Note to Canadians: If you think Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have done a good job fighting the coronavirus pandemic, please turn out on Monday to give them your support. But if you're thinking of voting Conservative and events in Alberta haven't convinced you otherwise — well, enjoy your lockdown. We cats HISS.

(IMAGE: @JasonKDiary)

If The Book "Peril" Had Pictures

 

(IMAGE: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Sorry, Not Sorry, Sorry Again

By Baxter

Do you feel overwhelmed by the recent wave of articles about anti-vaxxers who have died from COVID? It's hard not to wonder if you keep reading the same report over and over. Nope! A lot of Trumpy idiots have campaigned against coronavirus shots, masks and vaccine passports — and a lot of them are dead.

This website, in fact, collects their stories. Take a look if you want the death details of such right-wing fools like Bob Enyart, Marc Bernier, and, especially, QAnon nutcase Veronica Wolski. Ah, Veronica Wolski! Social media is full of videos of her brazenly accosting innocent mask wearers in retail stores, juxtaposed beside a horrifying photo of her in the hospital just before COVID killed her. Team Q is very upset that the hospital did the right thing and refused to give her ivermectin, which would have caused her to check out sooner.

All in all, an incredibly satisfying web browsing experience — if you're hopeful that with all these conspiracy theorists committing avoidable suicide, the national IQ will rise a few points. But it does get a bit overwhelming. How is it possible that among the Trump fanatics and Q-y nuts, you find high school science teachers, expectant parents and even healthcare providers in the mix? In what unique way has America failed in order to produce people like that? It's depressing. We cats HISS.

She Wears It Well

There are some really wild outfits at the Met Gala tonight, but we like this one best. Oh, and it's pretty groovy that "Jared" and "Ivanka" are apparently nowhere to be seen. We cats PURR.

Getting Very Trumpy North Of The Border

By Sniffles

We cats have enough on our plates without adding Canada's federal election to the list: the California recall tomorrow, Republican perfidy, George W. Bush suddenly seeming sensitive and reasonable. But goodness gracious, it seems like every time we check in on the news from the north, all we see are people behaving badly.

They're throwing gravel at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a campaign stop. Defacing Liberal yard signs. Staging silly rallies with vulgar banners (yes, because their vocabulary is limited, they include the F word). Worst of all, they're demonstrating against COVID vaccines outside hospitals, and harassing healthcare providers as they arrive for work. And you guessed it: They're mostly white males.

There's absolutely no way that these idiots represent the majority of Canadians. It's just that, like MAGAts in the United States, the noise they make is disproportionate to their numbers. And it doesn't help that the lazy media love to cover their antics.

As one very smart Montreal columnist has speculated: "I suspect that at least half the males who hate Justin Trudeau do so because he's all the things they are not: handsome, smart, capable, rational." Amen to that. Although we're still hoping that no matter what happens September 20, Justin's beard comes back. That would make us PURR.

What We Choose To See

By Hubie and Bertie

A few of our nine lives ago, on 9/11, we cats were living in Shaker Heights, Ohio. We remember that on September 12 — or maybe it was the next day — The Cleveland Plain Dealer published this shot by photojournalist Richard Drew. At the time, as shocking as it was, we thought that it was the most important picture of the entire event. The newspaper, of course, got a lot of heat for it.

(Drew was no stranger to controversy, since he was standing right behind Robert Kennedy when Kennedy was shot in 1968. He got Kennedy's blood splattered on him, and continued taking photos even when Ethel Kennedy begged him to stop. "He has never not taken a picture," they say.)

The Falling Man has never been positively identified. Spike Lee explores the question in this weekend's installment of his documentary on 9/11 and the COVID pandemic, and leaves it elegantly undetermined. But it remains a conflicted topic of the World Trade Center attacks: How many people chose to jump rather than burn (the media disagree), and why is it still so taboo to discuss, speculate about, and look at?

If video and social media had been around during the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, we would have had the same debate, except maybe more so. Nearly all the jumpers in that disaster were women, since the Triangle employees were overwhelmingly female. There are pictures of their bodies laid out in the morgue after the event, but nobody took a photo of a jumping shirtwaist girl. Similarly, all the photos and videos we've seen of people falling from the Twin Towers are men.

Our sensibilities are weird and out of sync. We're eager to invade countries that had nothing to do with 9/11 (which is why we can't truly appreciate George W. Bush's speech from yesterday, because, you know, Iraq), and we excuse those that did because we buy oil from them. But we can't steel ourselves to look at photos of people falling 100 stories to their deaths? We cats will never understand it. And we HISS.

Lest We Furr-get: 20 Years On

 

They say Benedict Donald had the chance to join the memorial service at Ground Zero yesterday but declined. That's okay — we cats see four Presidents here anyway. More later.

She's Left Home

The harpist on "She's Leaving Home" by the Beatles has died. We cats believe in saluting female artists and artists of color, so let's take a moment to recognize Sheila Bromberg. We've all heard her. We cats PURR.

Gander The Good, Part Deux

By Miss Kubelik

Ten years ago on the anniversary of 9/11, we cats blogged about the wonderful people of Gander, Newfoundland, who welcomed the "plane people" into their homes and hearts. It was the most uplifting way we could think of to observe a somber anniversary.

Guess we should have been in the Broadway-musical-making business, because since then, "Come From Away" has been a smash hit — and is being performed in concert on the Mall in Washington, DC, tonight. Wish we could be there!

You know how whenever anything happens, craven politicians say things like "We are all [fill in the blank] now"? This musical makes us wish we could claim the honor of being an Islander. We cats PURR.

Rebel Gets Rocked

By Zamboni

Okay, we admit it — we'd never heard of "Rebel News." And there are good reasons. First, it's a far-right, Muslim-hating Canadian website. (Think Breitbart, only north of the 49th parallel.) For the other reasons, and details on the rest of Rebel's unsavory background, click here.

It appears that like ONN and Newsmax in the US, Rebel constantly strives for recognition as a serious news organization, which (also like ONN and Newsmax) it's not. Rebel has a habit of appealing to the courts when they can't convince people they should be accredited as real journalists. The most recent legal dust-up happened yesterday: Thanks to a late-breaking decision by a federal judge, Rebel was allowed to cover last night's federal election French-language debate.

At the post-debate press avail, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau was asked by a Rebel "reporter" if he would continue to support excluding them. Here is his gone-viral answer. (P.S. Justin wasn't alone. New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh simply said, "I don't take questions from Rebel News.")

Bravo! Isn't it great when these alt-right assholes get their heads handed to them like this? Or when — as he did in his COVID speech today — Joe Biden makes it clear that he's done with anti-vaxx idiots in the US? More of this, please. We cats love it, and we PURR.

Still Drivin' Dixie Down

By Baxter

Donald Trump, who was born in Queens, is very upset that this statue of Robert E. Lee came down in Richmond, Virginia, today. In reply, we invite him to visit all the monuments and memorials to New Yorkers who died for the Union during the Civil War.

The flip side of Trump, the Big Apple native who sides with white supremacists, is probably Ralph Northam — current Governor of Virginia, alleged blackface wearer, descendant of the Old Confederacy. Northam, who survived his mini-scandal of racial insensitivity, is the perfect person to fight to remove Lee (and the other rebel statues) from Monument Avenue. He's a Democrat  — just like all those secessionists were back in the day — he's white, and he speaks with a soft, soothing Southern accent. Northam was there today to watch Lee go.

It was another "only Nixon could go to China" moment. And Richmond, which once was the capital of the Confederacy, has better places to go and to be. We cats think it's great, and we PURR.

Canadians Are (No Longer) Alberta Bound

By Sniffles

For years now, we cats have wondered why HR recruiters at major US corporations haven't been speaking up more about the horrible laws that Republicans are passing in red states. How is it possible that businesses are convincing great talent from across the country to live and work in places where it's hard for them to vote? Where they can't enjoy reproductive freedom? Where they can't be sure their kids will be safe in school, from either COVID or guns?

Sooner or later, this has got to catch up with them. If you were a talented millennial or Gen Zer, a single person or a young woman of color, why would you want to take a job in the theofascistocracies of Tennessee, Texas or Florida, just to name a few? No, thanks.

Until then, it's discouraging that more corporations haven't spoken out about, for example, Texas's vile new abortion law. But we cats are sure that at some point in one of our nine lifetimes, this recruitment problem will become a thing. How do we know? Just look north.

The Canadian province of Alberta, like Texas, is conservative oil-and-gas land. Alberta has boomed in the past, but things have been pretty rough there lately: a faltering energy sector, high unemployment, Canada's second-highest per capita rate of COVID-19 infections, and provincial leaders who tend to go on glamorous vacations abroad when constituents at home are hurting. Premier Jason Kenney, in fact, just spent more than three weeks in France, incommunicado during his province's latest coronavirus emergency. It's a pattern.

The result? A lot of people don't want to live there any more. Statistics Canada reports that 3,384 Albertans fled to other parts of the country in the first quarter of 2021 alone — the fourth quarter in a row in which more folks left Alberta than arrived.

There are lots of reasons that people move. But a poorly governed province with rampaging sickness, a low quality of life and cynical leadership surely ranks near the bottom of anyone's destination list. Texas, Florida, et. al., please take note. We cats HISS.

The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of.

By Hubie and Bertie

We cats spent about five hours driving around rural upstate New York and southern Vermont today. Both are deep-blue states — but we saw plenty of tumbledown houses with Trump flags, Gadsden flags, "blue lives" flags, ad nauseum. But mostly Trump flags and yard signs.

Then we went to a diner, and the guy at the next table was right out of Central Casting: tall, thin, white as the driven snow, and wearing a Trump camo hat and a sweatshirt that said, "One Nation, Under God."

We know these people are a minority of the country. That they're all losers from Loserville. And while we've been known to leave a bumper sticker on well past Election Day, the Trumpsters' over-the-top displays are something else. Yes, it's 10 months after their guy got his ass handed to him, and they look like sad idiots. But they're also disturbing.

That's because Trump fealty is completely opposite every understanding we've ever had of our country. Americans pledge no loyalty to a person, but to the republic. It's the system of self-government that we hold dear. The US has had charismatic Presidents before (JFK, Obama) — but this Trumpy Dear Leader phenomenon is new. And it's not just destructive to democracy: It's keeping those who believe in it from taking life-saving measures like getting vaccinated and wearing masks.

We can only hope that enough Trumpsters commit suicide by COVID before 2024 that they balance out the damage that Republicans are doing across the country by restricting the vote. In the meantime, though, the Benedict Donald fandom we saw displayed today will be enough to give us a few bad dreams tonight. We cats HISS.

(IMAGE: Not what we saw today, but close.)

Baby Love

We cats are more into kittens than babies, but we still think it's pretty swell that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten have adopted these two. One girl, one boy. Mazel tov!

We also celebrate it because we know it drives the right wing crazy. Pete and Chasten would grin at that, too. We cats PURR.

Donald Trump Jr. Endorses DC Statehood

By Miss Kubelik

We cats were just thinking that for stories about the corporations that have nothing to say about Texas's wildly restrictive new abortion law, journalism is going about it all wrong. Instead of writing headlines along the lines of "Corporations remain silent," they should say this: "American Airlines/Southwest Airlines/Dell/Whole Foods/Fill-In-The-Blank Opposes Women's Reproductive Rights."

Hence our own headline tonight. Because Spawn o' Trump just tweeted this image of the American flag. Thing is, it's the 51-star flag — the proposed design for when the District of Columbia becomes a state. HAW!

(He's since deleted it. Kinda embarrassing.)

Just one quick question: If Benedict Donald is going to announce any day that he's running in 2024, why is he trying to offload his DC hotel? Still and all, we cats couldn't think of any better development for Democratic victories in 2022 than to have Trump announce he's running in '24 right now. Have at it, Donald! We cats PURR.

Class Act.

By Baxter

This is not an entertainment blog, but at the end of a brutal political week, let's focus on a topic lighter than the survival of democracy, climate change, and reproductive rights — all of which are worrying at the moment, to say the least.

Specifically, let's talk about the Oscars 2021.

We cats never watch the Oscars any more. We used to be glued to it, but it's become so silly that we now subscribe to the adage "Why should I waste three-and-a-half-hours of my life when I can read the results in three minutes the next morning?" We also don't go to the movies much these days, even before the pandemic (unless we're in Montreal, where the audiences are better-behaved).

But this year, we took notice of the fact that Chadwick Boseman was nominated posthumously as Best Actor for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." We were rooting for him, not just because we liked him in "42," but because he seemed like a talented guy who deserved the kind of recognition Peter Finch got for "Network" or Heath Ledger got for "The Dark Knight." If Oscars for dead guys can go to white folks, why not for Black folks too?

It felt like everyone else was rooting for Boseman as well. So it was a big surprise — and kind of a letdown — when Anthony Hopkins won for "The Father." Goodness gracious, the guy is Oscared up the wazoo. Why did he need another one? Hopkins was so convinced he wouldn't win that he didn't even attend the awards ceremony. *Grumble, grumble*

So, okay: "The Father" is now making the rounds on cable TV, and our eyes are opened. Maybe it's just because we can relate to an elderly patriarch who is losing his marbles, but his performance is incredible. Hopkins deserved his Oscar, all 13-1/2 inches of it and beyond. And here is his elegant statement of acceptance. We cats are happy to salute anyone these days with good taste, and therefore, we PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Heartening News In The Darkness Edition

By Sniffles

It's too bad it's only Thursday, and there's another day left in this terrible week. To keep our spirits up, we cats went looking for some cheer-inducing news. Guess what — we found some! Here you go:

A very smart young man came up with a diabolically wonderful way to spam Texas's vile new "turn-in-your-neighbor-who-wants-an-abortion" website, and he shared instructions on Tik-Tok while eating French fries. People flooded the site with fake data and, um, "Shrek porn." Those crazy kids!

(Another note on SCOTUS and the Texas law: Gorsuch, Alito, Thomas, Barrett and Biff have just put reproductive rights squarely on the ballot in 2022. This is not something Republicans wanted. Remember that phrase about awakening a sleeping giant.)

The Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, is coming down.

The furry and horned "QAnon Shaman" will plead guilty to a passel of felonies (including obstruction and civil disorder) in DC court tomorrow. We're seeing reports that he will also denounce his former Q-y beliefs (and maybe even Benedict Donald). Stay tuned.

And here's the best ever: Right-wing nutcase Candace Owens made an appointment at an Aspen, Colorado, health center for a COVID-19 test. The appointment was promptly canceled. "I've just learned of this testing request, and as the owner of this business am going to refuse this booking and deny service," the clinic owner wrote in a terse email. "We cannot support anyone who has proactively worked to make this pandemic worse by spreading misinformation, politicizing and DISCOURAGING the wearing of masks, and actively dissuading people from receiving lifesaving vaccinations."

Maybe we cats should go to this clinic for our next test — even with a trip to Colorado, they're sure to be faster than our local CVS! In the meantime, these stories make us PURR.

Hillary Clinton Was Right About Everything.

 

Back in 2015, the email lady tweeted that the next Republican President could nominate as many as four Supreme Court justices. With a big assist from Mitch McConnell, Benedict Donald got three.

Today, with Roe on the brink, we cats are relieved we are fixed. But we HISS anyway.

(IMAGE: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)