Belated Friday Cat Blogging: Here Comes the Sun Edition

Yesterday, those of us who are, in fact, me discovered the little reservoir into which we, which is to say I, pour our .jpgs was a little on the Closed For Business-side. I contacted Tami, the One True, who is the little reservoir's version of the Coast Guard, who contacted Jazz, who contacted Powerblogs. Today: voila! We skinny-dip again and pretend we don't drink this water.

This is Larry, the little black cat bent on stealing your soul.

You remember Larry. He remembers you.

For over a month now, my mind has been boggled, which does no one any good, especially me. I've been working too hard and getting nowhere. When I saw a car repair bill for over $500 I nearly fainted, and when I observe how desperately my kitchen floor needs a patient scrubbing I have to shut off the light and leave the room. I would like to blame my inability to think clearly on something frou-frou like that Mercury went retrograde all last month, with extreme prejudice, which it did. But that's not it.

The war in Afghanistan is a fact of life I recognize I can do nothing about, and I see that we have lost it, though it's a matter of time before that fact comes home to us in all its harsh bookend beauty. In the end, we will have accomplished nothing there. I see the war in Iraq is a fact of life I can do little about, and the horror of what we thoughtlessly unleashed for no reason invades my dreams. The situation in Darfur is a fact of life I can do almost nothing about, which is painful, and I can't fix FEMA, Homeland Security, and whatever's wrong with the Justice Department and Congress that makes the conservative Supreme Court look like an Emma Goldman Dance-Off. I was just about at my Brutal Shit Tolerance Limit when Hezbollah and Israel decided to blow each other up - so long as that meant not actually Hezbollah and Israel and in fact meant killing the defenseless Lebanese. Frankly, my brain saw I'd reached my limit and cut me off. But that's not the end of it.

There are a lot of really well-informed people who understand the intricasies of human nature. Some of them are writing things we should read and consider very, very carefully. I do not know why the American people care more about Survivor than the people we're killing - and I say "we" because this killing in conducted by our military and, if not, then with our blessing - but I see that it is true, and I am afraid for us.

No matter how coolly or passionately someone describes attacking Iran, it is crucial to recall that our armed forces are stretched beyond their limits. Our Treasury is beyond empty. Our future is mortgaged to the Chinese. War has solved none of our problems but created many more. We stand at a pivotal moment in history.

Look, I am not a genius. I'm barely sane. We have no right as a nation to do what we are doing. We are committing war crimes, and we will be called to account for it - at which time, "Not me!" and "Go ask the cowboys!" isn't going to cut it. When the next 9/11 happens - and it will - we will not be able to say we are blameless. Our silence and our complicity will have caused the next disaster, and for what?

For nothing. World War III, coming to your doorstep, for no good reason.

Have you met my cat? He's really very handsome. I have to get outside, go walking and see some sunlight. I have to work again today. Get out to the mall, people, and do your part to increase the Gross National Product. Amber and Rob are counting on us.