From Yahoo, there is the questionably good news that China will…

…introduce new rules requiring food companies to take back products found to pose a health risk.

By the end of the year, they aren’t in any hurry here. That’s all well and good but ofttimes one doesn’t find out until after the pets are dead what the cause is.

And there are many pet owners grieving for the loss of their pets. Sending the food back won’t bring back one’s dead cat or dog.

Where are the rules to ensure safety and health during food production? The rules to prevent spiking foods with additives to fool people into thinking they are buying a superior, nutritional product? Hmm? Honesty in advertising, where is that?

Methinks China is severely lacking in oversight. And what about the companies that bought the tainted ingredients? They didn’t buy from the officially-registered plants which may have be safer. Seems they deserve some of the blame too.

Worth reading, this WND article about the pet food recall. Food for thought. Warning: may sicken you to read it.

pet food recall

Why am I not surprised?

Russia on Tuesday test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, apparently developed secretly, that a top government official said could penetrate any defense system, Russian news agencies reported.

Credit Breitbart.com. Now I wonder which country they’ll be targeting with these babies.

Angering the religious, um yes. From Ynet are a couple of quotes that sum up another reason for a no-confidence vote.

“I unequivocally reject the attempt to focus a state-sponsored campaign on a delusional minority that suffers from a normative defect,” Yishai said, “Jerusalem and Amsterdam are the same for these people. Therefore, those who fail to recognize Jerusalem’s holiness had better stay away from it.”

The city does have religious significance for three major religions, a fact not lost on them.

Another former tourism minister, MK Yitzhak Levy (National Union-NRP), also referred to the campaign saying, “I protest the portrayal of Israel as a pink, namely – gay, paradise. Israel used to be famous for values and holiness, and here a red line has been crossed.”

Think it’s a pink line actually. Oh, sparks will fly over this.

Safe bet they don’t have problems like these in Mecca.

Been a quiet Memorial Day staying home and updating the iMac. Finally updated to iLife ‘06 and promptly wished I hadn’t cause when I tried to find my images to upload to the blog, they were not there. Some digging in the various folders brought very disturbing news. The images are no longer sorted by date which sorting made it easy for me to find them. They are now sorted by roll number. And why they labelled the roll after roll 243, roll 469, I am clueless. It is the next roll. Roll isn’t even a proper word for it as it is what I’ve downloaded into the computer. I can’t even find some pics, clueless where they went to.

Arrggh!

Anyway, I did find these two pics of Izzy I took today.

Isn’t he cute?

He obligingly yawned a few times giving me a chance to catch one.

I would have taken some of Meowza but he was outside. Silly cat stays outside for days at a time. Perhaps he can’t find the way home or something. Who knows with that cat.

So it’s a day late, it’s a Frisky-filled carnival and he’s one handsome cat (see next to last pic in the Astros hat).

As for who I’m rooting for… Go kittycats!

My posts that were supposed to go in last week’s carnival are in this one. So, they link to the wrong carnival. Guess I’ll have to fix that.

What they do with tools of the trade, hammers, blow torches, meat cleavers, screw drivers, electric cables, etc.

Creative carpentry indeed!

Warning: Explicit violent images

And people think our enhanced interrogation techniques (sanctioned by Mitt) are torture. Not even.

Go Mitt!

Trying to kill us, they are. Get a load of this list of food and other stuff refused by the FDA and that’s just a tiny fraction of what gets thru. The FDA doen’t inspect it all. China leads all other countries in one thing, contaminated foodstuff.

It’s not just for cats.

Since the melamine spiking was deliberate, makes one wonder what else is.

And once we approve their chicken exports, which we will, that won’t be safe to eat either. It’s enough to make one go organic, home grown organic not imported from China organic. Would be all mouldy and putrifying if it were. Kindof like the food in the cafeteria at work on night shift. That’s not safe to eat either.

And that’s why they now sell Immodium in economy sized bottles.

Hattip WND who is still covering the issue.

It came today, my jewelry. I bought a couple pendants from Robyn of the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats. She was kind enough to remember me at the Pet Prayer & Praise Blog although now I’m no longer in need. Maybe in need of her jewelry - beautiful, handcrafted, one of a kind, yummy jewelry. There’s more to her than just being the most caring catblogger around.

My pic doesn’t do it justice, she has a better pic here plus more mouthwatering jewelry.

Prevented me from blogging yesterday. Dunno about today yet. Site was unreachable due to a problem with DNS servers my host was having. So I went to bed instead.

Sides there wasn’t any news on to blog about not that I blog much newsie stuff lately being preoccupied with babysitting and all. Just some news conference with Bush.

OK, so he was more interesting than the previous day’s news about Rosie, “big, fat lesbian, loud Rosie.” She said it. I didn’t. If the shoe fits.

OK, back to sleep it is.

Taking a respite from the little annoyances of life - car breaking down on the way to babysit so daughter could be there while the boyfriend has surgery, endless babysitting and a splitting headache. So demonstrating a maneuver impossible for us humans, one Meowza.

Cats are always good for a respite except when they’re destroying everything.

Still can’t get a good tummy shot thou.

He surprised me the other day by actually coming up to me to get petted. He never did that before. Never. Best I could hope for was him not running away when I came over to pet him. Will wonders never cease?

“You’re harmless enough. Might as well go for it. So love me already.”

She actually went outside and didn’t just hang at the window.

Which reminds me…

Must. Feed. Cat.

Carnival of the Cats will be at The Cat Blogosphere today.

Update: Post is linked from the Friskyfull carnival, didn’t make KC’s carnival.

Let’s see, there was work, babysitting and them.

Can’t forget them.

And the news…

Friday Ark is long past being up.

Carnival of the Cats will be at The Cat Blogosphere tomorrow.

TeaCup has left us but not before leaving behind some huge vet bills. Mommy Robyn is organizing donations. Lisa had auctions on TeaCup’s behalf.

There’s more news but I don’t have it.

Cause there wasn’t much sleep and I need that more than I need to blog the news.

Update: This is in Frisky’s carnival, didn’t make KC’s. I should perhaps send in my entries before Sunday.

Just cause I need a respite from all the politics and other depressing news. I spent several hours yesterday in with (and petting) Ritzi, let her go out for a bit too. Forgot the camera so this is from the photoshoot on the 4th.

“Worship me puny human.”

I never did watch the news yesterday. I did turn on the TV but all there was was this debate. Michelle live-blogged it and her comments are spot on as is this one from CNN

“It’s time to vote somebody off the island.”

Let it be Ron Paul. He’s clueless about the nature of jihad. What he said was:

“Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we’ve been over there. We’ve been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We’ve been in the Middle East — I think (former President Ronald) Reagan was right. We don’t understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics.”

“They are delighted that we’re over there because Osama bin Laden has said, ‘I’m glad you’re over on our sand because we can target you so much easier.’ They have already now since that time they’ve killed 3,400 of our men and I don’t think it was necessary.”

It’s easy enough to understand. Just go in any mosque and listen to what they say in Arabic (with a translator if necessary). Or read Sura 9 in the Koran. Or just pay attention to what Tancredo said.

“Whether or not we were in Iraq … they would be trying to kill us, because it is a dictate of their religion, at least a part of it. And we have to defend ourselves.”

Or Romney.

“There is a global jihadist effort…they want to replace them with a caliphate and bring down the West.”

They both have it right. Naturally, as we are fighting an enemy who would behead us in a heartbeat, torture came up. Mitt’s take on it.

“Some people have said we ought to close Guantanamo. My view is, we ought to double Guantanamo … There’s no question but that in a setting like that, where you have the ticking bomb, that the president of the United States, not the CIA interrogator, the president of the United States has to make the call and enhanced interrogation techniques have to be used. Not torture, but enhanced interrogation techniques, yes.”

He got that right. However the best comment goes to Tom Tancredo.

“You say that nuclear devices have gone off in the United States, more are planned, and we’re wondering about whether waterboarding would be a bad thing to do. I’m looking for Jack Bauer at that time, let me tell you. …We are the last best hope of Western Civilization. When we go under, Western Civilization goes under.”

Need to put it in it’s proper perspective. Western civilization is at stake. Europe probably is already lost unless someone wakes up over there. It’s up to us.

I was shocked to read (in my email as I have yet to turn on the news) of Reverend Falwell’s death having just perused an article he wrote just recently. This one quote from WND shows people of different faiths (specifically Mormons and Baptists) can get along and respect their faith and accomplishments.

… former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said, “An American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith has left us.”

“He will be greatly missed, but the legacy of his important work will continue through his many ministries where he put his faith into action,” Romney said in a statement. “Ann and I have had the honor to talk and meet with Reverend Falwell and get to know him as a man of deep personal faith and commitment to helping those around him. He will be forever remembered.”

Interesting too that Falwell reciprocated the getting along as quoted in the NY Times Blog.

While another evangelical leader, James Dobson, had questioned whether Christian evangelicals could support a Mormon for president, Mr. Falwell said that he could, if he agreed with that person on social and moral issues.

I fully expect that some in the evangelical camp will have some comment on that. Would that more people could get along realizing good people come in many faiths and some in none at all. He’ll also be remembered for founding the Moral Majority.

…a movement that gave fundamentalist and evangelical Christians a voice in the U.S. political process. He was credited with helping elect Ronald Reagan.

And that is something to be thankful for.

Reagan.

The Conservative movement owe a lot to the Reverend. The PC crowd don’t appreciate Falwell of course but that is to be expected. The guy spoke his mind although it’s debatable who was more divisive, Falwell or Pat Robertson. Or Al Sharpton, can’t forget Al. Of course, traditional conservative values are divisive. Not all, just some. It is possible to stand up for values while respecting all people. He didn’t do that. Despite his outspokenness, he did contribute a lot of good. And for that we remember him.

I had been worried with no announcement. I needn’t have. COTC was hosted this week by none other than the father of catblogging himself, Lair Simon. I had to work so I missed all the fun til today.

I just couldn’t imagine a week without the kitty carnival.

Ritzikittycat cause I can. Went too long without pics of her so I’m making up for lost time and, well, kittycats are nicer than anything on the news.

“Feed this cat or get shredded.”

More kitties at the Friday Ark. Pet a cat. Warm. Fuzzy. Good.

And he returned to the scene of a crime, at least I think it is. My poor sofa!

“I didn’t do it, honest.”

Another view of the kittycat and the kitty vomit.

More kitties at the Friday Ark.

On the Al Sharpton/Mitt Romney issue, it appears Al may apologize to Mitt - in private of course. So said Hannity who actually had it as his lead story. And FoxNews is MSM. So it’s getting a little bit of coverage in the press.

Update: Hannity had a whole hour of Al Sharpton and that was only part one. Focus on Imus not Romney although that got mentioned along with Al’s history of making offensive remarks and getting away with it. Al didn’t sound the least bit apologetic, rationalizing away what he said.

If somebody got anything different from the show, please leave a comment, quoting Al of course.

Apparently, Al can say anything he wants and it’s ok.

It gets him airtime, lots.

It hit 100˚ outside already…

Too damn hot to go out there
I’ll lay around inside in the nice cool air
Watchin the kitties sleep in the afternoon light
Restin up for a long, long night

Cause when the sun goes down, I’ll be coolin
When the sun goes down, I’ll be feelin all right
When the sun sinks down over the desert
Everything gets cooler when the sun goes down

All day long just takin it easy
Layin in my bed where the AC’s cool and breezy
Sleepin off the night before
Cause when the sun goes down, I’ll be back for more

Babysitting that is…

With apologies to Kenny Chesney for butchering his song which I can’t get out of my head. It’s one of those days. Must be all the babysitting, not enough sleep. Yeah, that’s it. That and the heat.

Heard about it on the radio, it being Al Sharpton’s anti-Mormon remark. Got the quote from John Ridley, Yahoo News

During a debate held Monday at the New York Public Library with atheist author Christopher Hitchens, Al assessed Mormon Mitt Romney’s presidential bid thusly: “As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don’t worry about that; that’s a temporary situation.”

And not a word of condemnation from WND which is rabidly evangelical Christian in it’s outlook. They are only happy to let Al do their dirty work while they go after Romney over everything he’s ever said or done. After all, being against Mitt is the Christian thing to do.

Meanwhile, the MSM is hard at work not covering the story. Excepting CNN. As for Al…

“In no way did I attack Mormons or the Mormon Church when I responded that other believers, not atheists, would vote against Mr. Romney for purely political reasons,” Sharpton said in a written statement.

He also accused Romney’s campaign of engaging in “a blatant effort to fabricate a controversy to help their lagging campaign.”

Somehow I doubt Al Sharpton shooting off his mouth is fabricating a controversy. Unless pointing it out is. And since when is “belief in God” or more properly one’s religion purely political? For the record, Mormons believe in God.

I noted too from a Google search that the conservative blogosphere, especially the big hitters, is strangely silent over Al’s bigoted remark. It’s up to us lesser known blogs to point it out.

Rumor has it France’s new President supports the U.S…

and Bush is still President.

President-elect Sarkozy also supports Israel.

The statement added that the conservative Sarkozy “thanked Prime Minister Olmert and said: ‘I am a friend of Israel and Israel can always rely on my friendship.’ “

That must really go over well with it’s high Muslim population. Of course, his election isn’t exactly sitting too well in some quarters.

The violence, that resulted in hundreds of cars burned and several people being taken into custody across the country since Sunday, promises to continue in the coming days over the tough policies, likely to be implemented by the new president, on immigration, law and order and work culture. Reports said a center of Sarkozy’s UMP party was set on fire in Villeurbanne Tuesday night.

Typical. You can guess who is doing the rioting. Go Sarkozy! Looks like the French people have got it together after all.

Sometimes I wonder who visits and check my stats.

domain name | visit time | page views | visit length
navy.mil 12:39:04 pm 5 6:52
nsf.gov 12:17:14 pm 3 11:55
nih.gov 10:55:50 am 2 4:47

Guessing they came for the kittycats. Why else would someone from a government site be looking at my blog?

I was supposed to babysit really, really late so they could go to a late-night showing of Spiderman 3. Real life intervened and they came home early without seeing the movie. I haven’t seen it either. Despite our nonattendance, the movie did rather well.

…the film shattered box-office records with $151.1 million domestically and $382 million worldwide in just days.

Rather well indeed.

Me, I was so tired and sleepy (rock baby to sleep rocks grandma to sleep as well) I just went to bed. I’ll have to find time to see the movie too. After seeing the first two, have to see this one. And the kittycats which is a far easier task as they are only a mouseclick away. I do have a fondness for Betsy, such a pretty kitty.

The Meowers of Death have put together a delightful, kittyfull carnival sure to bring a smile to any cat lover. Enjoy.

I’m off to babysit then, sometime in the wee hours of the morning, I’ll check out all the kitties.

Commenting can lead to beautiful things as I do check out links and found this beautiful poem about one of our favorite subjects, cats of course. It always comes back to them.

Poetry and cats, what’s not to love?

Added to the blogroll too. I can always use uplifting thoughts every now and then to counter the less savory stuff I read.

Friday, I let Ritzi have some out time so did she go out? Not very far, she spent the majority of the time in the window trying to decide whether to go out or not.

“Hmm, stay in where the human will pet me.”

“Or go out. It is a beautiful day and I don’t see them.”

She finally went out.

“OK, I’ve had enough. I’m coming back in.”

Silly cat.

The Meowers Of Death are hosting today’s Carnival of the Cats. It should be good. More silly kitties.

From MEMRI comes this shocker from a January letter published March 31:

“Secret, Personal and Urgent

“Based on a phone conversation with Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr and [after] consulting with [Iraq's National Security Advisor] Dr. Muwafaq Al-Rubai’i, in order to preserve our great achievements and in light of what the present circumstances demand, we ask to temporarily conceal the commanders of the Mahdi Army, who are connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, [and to remove them] from the front line [of battle] in order to protect them from being arrested or killed by the American forces. [The names of the commanders] are listed below. It would be best to send them to Iran for the time being, until the crisis passes.

“In addition, [we ask] to send the commanders from the second line [of battle] to the southern regions, since we know that intensive efforts are underway to persuade the Americans to leave the situation [there] as it is. All administrative and security arrangements for the transportation of these commanders have [already] been made.

“We ask you to implement [these orders] and report to us.

“[Signed,] Nouri Al-Maliki, Prime Minster [of Iraq]“

Read the rest. Not very encouraging that the Prime Minister wants to protect those who are fighting against us from us. Makes you wonder. Guessing the crisis he was referring to was the American troop surge. Betting they can’t wait til we leave too.

Hattip WND.

One missing the fireworks, Ritzikitty. Hey, one of The View’s soon to be out Rosie is one of the 100 most influential people in the world. So’s Justin Timberlake?

Oh please!

OK, I think Time has sunk into irrelevancy here.

Not on the list, of course, is one President George W. Bush, he whose veto trumps the entire U.S. Congress. And despite Rosie’s acerbic comments that have gotten a fair amount of airplay, no one generates more buzz than Bush. So it’s predominantly negative. But check any editorial cartoon and chances are he’s there. He’s still the most powerful man in the world (politically speaking).

And that counts for a lot in this world. However, that small detail is of no concern to the cats.

Who ultimately rule the world. Don’t tell Bush thou.

“I rule absolutely. I so don’t like competition. Silly humans.”

We’re so devoted to the little critters.

And… it is Friday and that means, yep, Friday Ark. When Cats Attack is hosting Sunday’s Carnival of the Cats.