Sunday 1 July 2007

the apartment, the terrorits, and the non-sex life of a cat

Thank you everyone for your concern and kind comments. I don’t know why that helps, but it does. Q has had good news and not so good news, but not bad news. After another frustrating day on the telephone from here to NYC trying to get in touch with anyone who might, if not know the whereabouts of the landlady, at least be able to certify her validity as a ne’r do well and not a con artist, as oddly comforting as that would be. Some other matters transpired in this in-between stage but as she was not overjoyed at my “sharing” yesterday, I think it best I not go into detail lest I languish alone and unloved in my declining years, long may they be in coming.. At day’s end she had been able to discover the apartment, lease, and arrival in September are all valid and safe; however the landlady has apparently taken off for the Caribbean with the KEYS. But, good to have a ‘but’ there may be a key with the building superintendent, and if so they can show the apartment. This part of the tale lingers on, but the essentials, a place to live, are assured. Whew. I have been forbidden to speak of further details (sigh). You know… when I began this blog she said she wasn’t going to read it. Um hummmm.

I am very distressed to read of the further attacks on Britain. The car bomb in Glasgow Airport is not a good sign, to state the obvious... I cannot imagine the authorities will be able to get any information from those arrested, so I can only hope they do not let their attention wane. They seem from what I can read here on top of the situations, as much as one can be – after all the point of a terrorist attack is to strike where unexpected in order to cause the greatest fear. Please let me state the obvious from my geographic location that while all radical Islamic terrorists are Muslims, not all Muslims are terrorists. It is a fact easily lost in the face of fear. Which is one of my greatest objections to the declaration of a “war on terror”, it paints such a broad picture that the individuals, their specific organizations are lost in the generalization and it sounds to the Muslim nations as if they are all being targeted. While offensive to them it is also ineffective in catching the culprits and stopping the attacks. This perception is not helped by acts like the U.S. hanging Hussein during the Muslim holy days.

Britain’s problem at the moment would appear to be “home grown terrorists”, those radicals from inside the country itself. Whether individuals from the outside are further stoking those radicals, supplied by them (albeit it is much easier to obtain weapons in the West or Russia), and or directed by them is something for MI6.

There has always been an element of terrorism in the world; it is easier now to transport terror and to report its effects. We still need to know the why and we cannot allow it to stop us from living our lives, and we cannot allow those who would spread terror the opportunity to do so. The difficulty here is not to spread such a wide net that we catch up the innocent as well as the guilty, assuring another generation of terror.


This is not a “war” you can win. There have always been terrorists. If the west continues to target “all terrorists” we will lose more lives and influence. The organization committing the specific act needs to be identified and dealt with. All right I ‘m done now.

Here is the latest chapter on E. (our proper British girl) and Rashid (nice Moroccan boy) and the “cat” that would be neutered. E., Q’s friend a fellow Fulbright Scholar has a Moroccan boyfriend and a cat; she is taking the cat back to America.

Rashid has reconciled himself to the fact E. is having the cat, Maximus, neutered before returning to the States. His outrage at the poor feline never having a sex life has been inconsolable. He thought he had found a solution when he returned home with a female (prostitute) cat from the streets for Maximus to have his one shot at sex.

Every feminist bone in E’s Princeton educated body bristled as she asks, “And what will happen after they have sex?”

“I will put her back on the street,” he replied smugly as a man who had thought this out – not.

“And if she gets pregnant? Who will care for her and the kittens?”

“Um well I guess I hadn’t thought of that, but..”

Turns out the nice young American chap who lives upstairs agreed to keep the prostitute cat until Monday when they could find someone to take her. Over the weekend the young man feel quite in love with her, named her Misha Misha, and took her home with him to America. Happy ending for her. Maximus remains virgin. Rashid remains distraught. E. remains determined.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, I was here as your latest post came up - neat as I am here because you left a kind comment on my blog yesterday - thank you! I'll keep popping by and I really enjoy your style. Once I've sorted out all the players...Q, T, A etc...

Loved the cat love story. Can't have a cat in this apartment but both of us love them...I am planning to scrapbook all the cats I've lived with one day...along with all my other scrapbook plans that will take me well into the next life...time, so much of it, so many ways to use it, so little success.

Back to post on my own blog now...

lady macleod said...

shirl

I love your avatar. I am pleased you came by and that you plan to come again. Quick update: Q is my daughter, A is her fiance', and various others players have been given an alias to protect their privacy.

Great idea for a cat book.

thank you for coming by.

jenny said...

I am breathing a sigh of relief for Q but I bet you were a little disappointed you couldnt put your boxing skills to use? :o)

Please pop over to my blog, I have a surprise for you!

lady macleod said...

jenny

aw.. just what I always wanted, a PINK award. thank you very much. I appreciate you thinking of me, and I appreciate you coming over every day even more.

It's quite amazing - this blog world isn't it? I continue to be amazed at the talented people within our sphere.

The Good Woman said...

Hi Lady M
Glad to report that the attitude of 'getting on with it' seems to be prevailing in your homeland. At least among my friends and acquaintances.

Thanks for the cat chuckle. Sound like some lucky cats live in Morocco (but not all get lucky!).

lady macleod said...

If there is one thing we Scots are good at... other than pickin' a fight it's recovering from one.

I am glad you are yours are well.

good 'cat line':-) thank you for coming by.

jmb said...

Well Lady M, I'm glad all's well that ends well. Except of course it isn't all ended or all well.
Good job on the terrorist rant, just no good answer is there and probably never will be. I'm actually amazed when they catch anyone at all, especially before it happens.
Lucky cat, but how easy is it to just take a cat back to the USA?
The Marine who got the dog out of Iraq (From Baghdad with Love sure didn't find it easy.
regards
jmb

lady macleod said...

jmb

It is ended tonight thank goodness. She has news that all is well, something about a mobile in a toliet? as you say, ..that ends well.

I think you are right, I wish I had an answer, but then that's why I turned down that goddess job.

Apparently not very hard from here. It is difficult with the UK because we have no rabies, but it is an indigenous disease in the U.S. Another friend of Q's, and the young American had no trouble at all. You just take their little passport (how cute is that?) with the rabies shot certification and you are good to go. Q had to reserve his place on the airplane as apparently they will only take one cat per flight.

I really want to read that book.

thank you for coming by.

-eve- said...

The cat story was such a good one - a sort of Cinderella cat. I admit that at first, I thought just like Rashid; but it's true that the cat probably WOULD get pregnant. So now everyone's happy, 'cos Maximus won't know what he's missing anyway (having said that, I'd never neuter my dog - he can jerk off if he needs release).

Kim said...

So glad to hear Q has had good news. A new marriage is challenge enough without worrying where to live!

And the cat story - priceless. Men never think. I do, however, think it's cute that Rashid even cared about the cat's sex life. Must be a pretty sensitive guy.

debio said...

Totally with you on your comments re the terrorists. Not all Muslims are terrorists and, for the authorities, that is where the difficulty lies.

Every time I plan a trip to the UK something like this happens; I'm sure it's not personal but a bit more than a b***** nuisance!

I Beatrice said...

Am on safer ground with cats than with terrorism - and was so relieved to hear that the Cinders cat had found a good home. I'd have adopted her myself had I been there. I tend to adopt cats (or they adopt me) wherever I go.I even found a perfect darling on the slopes of the Acropolis one day. (Couldn't bring her home of course, alas.)

What it must be to be a Muslim cat though....!

lady macleod said...

-eve-

In a country where the cats are as well treated as the beggars (while not unkind is not consistent) but there are no shelters, it is a kindness and a responsibility to neuter really don't you think? A different matter if one intends to breed of course..

thank you for coming by.

lady macleod said...

kaycle

thank you and indeed that is true.

the funny thing is ALL Moroccan men feel that way apparently about the issue of neutering, because of the MALE. I will say this in all fairness their reasoning has some validity on that score. Because the female can still have sex after being 'fixed' they think it is fine for her, it is the matter that the male can not exercise his masculine RIGHTS that sends them into realms of distress and angst.

He is a nice guy.

thank you for coming by.

lady macleod said...

debio

Yes, well you and I see that up close eh? As well as the frightening parts...

Yes, I have oft said, those bloody terrorists muck it up for everyone! Do you have to do the separate 'female' search? Morocco has put up a booth with a female guard and a separate line for the females...takes bloody forever.

thank you for coming by.

lady macleod said...

i beatrice

I do believe we are all on safer ground with the cats than the terrorists
, well said. I know what you mean, my pets have always found me not the other way around, the same is proving true for Q.

Not JUST a Muslim cat, but of the line of the five originals..

http://iht.com/articles/2007/06/29/news/cats.php

thank you for coming by.

scarlettscion said...

So--

http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/whatistnr.htm
http://www.almosthomerescue.org/spayneuter/spayneuter.htm

TNR (discussed in the first above link) only works for cats. Stray puppies who aren't socialized early enough almost uniformly have to be put down. And even if they are caught early enough, they often have horrific health problems. Puppies with maggots in open wounds, puppies with mange so severe their body is an open oozing scab, etc. That takes a lot of money to fix, so usually they are put down.
What about the one time your dog gets out of the yard, or runs away, and sires a litter of puppies? Go look in the "unadoptable" back section of a humane society shelter sometime and then tell me it's responsible not to neuter your pet.

scarlettscion said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brillig said...

I'm 100% with you on your comments about terrorists.

As for the poor sexless cat, I can only laugh about the obsession with his needing to have sex once before it's no longer an option. What a "guy thing" to think! But, of course, NOT to think through what might happen to the female cat. Hahaha. What a fun story.

-eve- said...

Hmmm... not if you're going to take it home, I think... but then again, I've no experience with cats, as you do; I think cats escape more easily than dogs, for one (it's okay for me not to neuter my dog, because he's not going to get near any females anyway, but if your cat can always escape, I do see your point. :-))

scarlettscion said...

I've been around dogs or owned them my whole life--and if you are totally certain your animal can never escape or has never managed to get out for a day, I know a lot of people who'd like to know your secret.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

A well reasoned post, Lady M. You are right - we must not "catch the innocent" as well but it is all very difficult. So far I think the Brit response has been measured. I must read more of your posts on Q before I can comment there. Stay brave. Auguri from Sicily.

MomOf4 said...

The cat drama made my day!! I shared this with my husband and his question was "Is it more cruel to let the male cat know what he is missing before "fixing" him?" Perhaps so! :) Love your blog!