even dumber than 'dumb and dumber'

You might remember the two Australian bank robbers in Vail, Colorado dubbed 'Dumb and Dumber'.

The Australian media nicknamed them 'Dumb and Dumber' because they left too many clues about their identities, such as their accents and work badges.

See - Denver ABC 7 news

Now there is 'Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest' - three prison escapees who inadvertently flagged down an undercover police car for a ride. They were still wearing parts of their green prison uniforms which gave them away.

See - Sydney Morning Herald of 28 July 2006

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

That dog Hagrid came into my yard this morning. I stared at him from my deck and watched him run around in the rain and doing wees. Thankfully he returned to his yard through the hole in the fence.

That was all the excitement for the day as I spent the rest of the day napping until my human returned home from work

keisercat@wildmail.com

National Tree Day

Today was National Tree Day (not to be confused with Arbor Day which is also observed separately), in association with Planet Ark, Toyota, and the AMP Foundation.

People plant native trees and shrubs to 're-green' Australia.

Sadly, my human didn't do his part, although he did notice the 'tree packs' at the local Coles supermarket.

It is never too late. I think I will have to remind him.

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I didn't get an afternoon nap with my human on the couch today either. After my breakfast, he decided that he would go into town (something about exchanging a gift). When my human returned, he also had a gift for me! Woohoo! It is an offical Brisbane Lions bear in his football uniform.



Instead of having a nap with me or sitting down on the couch so that I could sleep on his lap, my human decided to do more chores like mopping the floor and cleaning the bathroom. Hmmppphhh! What are weekends for?

After he finished, he spent some time in the kitchen. Then Devi arrived, and soon after, Fiona. They came over for a dinner of medium rare roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and home-made gravy (not out of a packet), roast vegetables (potato, pumpkin and beetroot) and blanched beans.

Although I was fed earlier (the usual chicken), I demanded roast beef, which I then ate heartily. My human does worry when he pats me and feels my rib bones. If I wanted to eat a horse, I'm sure he'd give me one...

keisercat@wildmail.com

people acting like cats - Le Parkour

There is a new 'urban sport' which originated in France where people pretend they are cats and jump from building structures.

As a still agile cat (for my age), I leap from one couch to the other, jump up onto the couch (and usually onto my human's lap), jump out of the big bed in the morning, leap up onto the dining room windowsill, and jump off the same windowsill.

When I was much younger, I climbed up trees, up fences and onto the roof etc.

Well some humans in France decided they'd do the same thing and jump around and over buildings and brick walls etc.







They call it Le Parkour. I call it insanity. Humans don't have sharp claws to behave like cats.

See - LE PARKOUR

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I had another good day today, although it started earlier at the crack of dawn (unlike yesterday's major sleep in) and the heater hadn't even come on yet. It was still so cold that after my early breakfast I had to go to my other room and sit above a heater vent.

Mary came over and my human disappeared with her. They returned about 90 minutes later and my human had bags full of fresh food items. It seems they went to the Farmers' Market. Anyway, my human cooked up fresh chestnut mushrooms, fresh free range hen eggs and freshly smoked bacon with freshly baked Italian woodfired bread for breakfast. My human even GAVE ME some bacon. Yes bacon. WOOHOO!

I also managed to go outside when my human hung out the laundry, to chew on some grass and lie in the sun. I didn't have a daytime nap together with my human today as he was doing chores, but he did give me another snack of sliced deli turkey breast.

And tonight before he did the ironing (two week's worth) during the football game he gave me a nice long brush of my fur.

What a nice day I've had.

keisercat@wildmail.com

football - round 17

Football - round 17. Sigh! My human and I were watching this game on TV (finally one of my team's games is broadcast on free-to-air TV). Beaten by the team who's lost just about every game all season so far (although their better players finally returned after recovering from injury).

ESSENDON 5.4 10.6 17.7 25.10 (160)
BRISBANE 6.3 10.8 15.11 18.15 (123)
Goals: Essendon: S Lucas 7 J Hird 4 K Bradley 4 D Hille 3 R Dyson 2 M McVeigh 2 J Johnson B Stanton A McPhee. Brisbane: D Bradshaw 6 R Hooper 4 J Drummond 2 B Fixter M Moody J Sherman S Black C Stiller M Rischitelli.
Best: Essendon: J Hird S Lucas J Johnson S Camporeale D Hille K Bradley. Brisbane: S Black D Bradshaw L Power J Charman M Voss J Roe.
Umpires: D Margetts S McLaren M Avon
Crowd: 32,761 at Telstra Dome.


Brad Scott tackling Kepler Bradley


Vossy being blocked by Scott Camporeale and tackled by Andrew Welsh


Robert Copeland spoiling Andrew Lovett


Rhan Hooper


Clark Keating and Jason Roe trying to spoil David Hille's mark


Mal Michael taking a mark, spoiled by Dustin Fletcher


Josh Drummond taking a high tackle of Jimmy Hird (doesn't look like Joshy though)


the 'pack'


Jamie Charman was injured, and Essendon (acting) captain David Hille was the one who showed compassion

which is more harmful, obesity or internet smut?

Like the US, Australia is battling the bulge.

The cost of obesity is enormous. A$2.4 billion for treatment, and another A$9 billion in lost productivity.

Obesity related illnesses like adult onset diabetes (type 2) are now occuring in children.

Should the government take some responsibility with prevention programs?

The Australian government doesn't think so and consider obesity to be the responsibility of the individual. See - Daily Telegraph of 28 July 2006.

On the other paw, the Australian government is spending A$117 million of taxpayers' money to 'protect' children from internet smut. See - The Australian of 22 June 2006.

Yeah, the government decides what is individual responsibility.

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Today was a woohoo day! Woohoo! My human had the day off work and spent much of it with me. We had a great afternoon nap on the couch together (though my human was a little annoyed that I had drooled all over his track pants). It also meant that I had extra meals like the leftover cooked fish for breakfast (twice), then some roast beef, before my usual dinner of cooked chicken.

keisercat@wildmail.com

awesome?

A teenage schoolboy in Melbourne encountered Australian Prime Minister John Howard during his morning walk and hugged him.

The kid reckoned it was one of the most exciting moments of his life. His friends thought it was awesome.

See - The Age of 27 July 2006 and 28 July 2006


What ever happened to egg throwing?


Carey Grammar student Stephen Battaglia became a 'legend' at school

How sad. What are they teaching kids these days that they would get a thrill from hugging a politician? Didn't their parents tell them not to trust politicians?

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Not much to report today. My human had pan fried monkfish fillets for dinner and so did I. Woohoo! It's not often that I eat the same meal as my human for dinner.

keisercat@wildmail.com

a cat's life

Check out this Fancy Feast TV commercial from YouTube -


*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Usual boring day, napping on the couch.

After my human came home from work, I greeted him at the door - he always rings the door chime even though he is the one who unlocks and opens the front door himself.

Emily came over, and she helped my human cook (Hungarian) Bogracsgulyas. Then Destiny came over. Half an hour later Amanda (who is the human of the late Jake the ginger cat) came over. The humans all had the bogracsgulyas for dinner with bread.

I lied on Amanda's lap when she arrived, and spent a lot of time on Emily's lap. She is still my favourite.

keisercat@wildmail.com

phoning the washing machine

Internet fridges are pretty lame. Are they supposed to encourage people to spend more time in the kitchen?

It seems that it won't be the only appliance to be wired. Soon, washing machines and dryers will phone people to tell them the laundry is done.



That is even more lame than the internet fridge. You'd think people would be familiar with the timing of their machine's wash or dry cycle. And if they use a laundromat, they'd find out.

See - USA Today of 23 July 2006

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

It was cold and wet again today and I spent most of the day napping on my day bed in my day bedroom.

My human came home after work with Malgosia who stayed for a quick cup of tea (she had to go home to feed Jack the dog). I didn't lie on her lap as it was near my dinner time and I just had a quick chat to her.

Tonight, my human and I are watching Transamerica.

keisercat@wildmail.com

Vampire sea spiders

Antarctic sea spiders are defying scientific attempts to classify them taxonomically.

I think they are actually alien (as in extra-terrestrial) life forms.


this one has legs that span 70cm


this one has five pairs of legs







See - ABC Science Online

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I was hoping that my human would stay home with me today as it was cold and wet, but my human went to work anyway through the rain.

I was excited to see him when he returned, as I always am (not that it has anything to do with my dinner time). Anyway, he had roast beef for dinner and even gave me some, but only after I had eaten my usual chicken. Woohoo!

keisercat@wildmail.com

Opera Australia at 50

Opera Australia turned 50 this weekend.

It started out as the Australian Opera Company in 1956, then it became the Australian Opera in 1970. When it merged with the Victorian State Opera, it became Opera Australia.

They had an open day today in Sydney. I would have enjoyed going and wandering around hiding in the costumes and climbing the curtains.

I'll just have to suffice with listening to recordings.

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Today was another quiet day until Sooty and Spike's human Tim came over in the afternoon for a few hours. He introduced my human to Full Metal Alchemist which looks like a very interesting anime.

Later tonight Mary came over for a quick wine and cheese. After that, he spent too long in the kitchen making more preserved lemons. Thankfully my human had managed to fit in a nap together with me earlier.

keisercat@wildmail.com

Emily is not strange and a doggy visitor

Yesterday I mentioned that when Emily visits, she is my most favourite person in the whole wide world.

My Emily is not strange, unlike that other Emily (the) Strange who is a goth and has a posse of four cats.







See
- 'Stranger in the Night' from Montreal Mirror 2002
- Emily the Strange

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Last night was a great night. Not only did I get to nap on Emily's lap for most of the evening, she even stayed over. That meant I also spent most of the morning on her lap including while my human was out at the shops.

Emily then went out and returned with Oscar the dog (who is some breed of terrier) who was totally hyperactive. I was on my human's lap on the couch and Oscar wanted to come closer but I growled at him. That's showing him who is boss.





After all the visitors over the past week, tonight was a quiet night with my human. Unfortunately he's been forcing me to listen to Dashboard Confessional's Dusk and Summer.

What an emo!



keisercat@wildmail.com

football - round 16

Football round 16 - my team again only barely wins

BRISBANE 1.4 5.9 11.12 11.18 (84)
HAWTHORN 5.3 8.3 10.6 11.8 (74)
Goals: Brisbane: D Bradshaw 4 J Charman 2 J Drummond M Moody L Power R Hooper J Brennan. Hawthorn: L Franklin 3 M Williams C Bateman T Croad B Dixon R Vandenberg R Ladson L Hodge R Campbell.
Best: Brisbane: J Charman J Sherman D Bradshaw L Power C Keating R Hooper. Hawthorn: L Franklin C Brown S Mitchell L Hodge R Ladson.
Crowd: 26,738 at the Gabba.

This weekend is also the heritage round 'back to the eighties', so my team were in an original Brisbane Bears attire. Go Bears!!


Vossy


Bunching up, Clark Keating is on the left (he needs a shave)


Mal Michael passing the ball


Mal Michael being tackled by Campbell Brown


Robert Copeland spoiling Luke Hodge


Jamie Charman and Cheynee Stiller colliding


Shermanator thwarting a pass by Lance Franklin


Shermanator and Vossy

Aker was a naughty boy saying things he shouldn't have, so he was excluded from playing this match

Belgium national day

Today is Belgium's national day (nationale feestdag), and an official national holiday. Woohoo!

It celebrates the day on 21 July in 1831 when Leopold I became the King of the Belgians (not the King of Belgium), and secession from the Northern Netherlands.

French fries actually originated in Belgium. Belgians also eat their fries with mayonnaise.

My human loves the waffles that are available just about everywhere in Brussels, and the chocolates, and Belgian beer. Mussels with fries is a national dish (moules frites).

Those are good enough reasons to visit. My human on the other paw, would return to Brussels to acquire more Tintin merchandise. He wears his Tintin watch everyday, even to work.



Emily gave my human a Tintin poster for his birthday which is framed and on the wall in my night bedroom.



*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

After all the excitement of the last few days, it was nice to have a quiet nap today by myself, even on a dining chair.



Emily came around tonight. Woohoo! That is twice this week - this time it was duck confit for dinner (and none for me). When Emily visits, she is my most favourite human in the whole wide world.



keisercat@wildmail.com

Bush and stem cell research

Hmmm... President Bush's veto of a Congressional bill on stem cell research is interesting.

In relation to the matter, he also said:
In this new era, our challenge is to harness the power of science to ease human suffering without sanctioning the practices that violate the dignity of human life.
...
America was founded on the principle that we are all created equal, and endowed by our Creator with the right to life.

See - President Bush's statement 'President Discusses Stem Cell Research Policy' of 19 July 2006

I am still really confused how at the same time he can support the death penalty and wars where people die.

I wonder what he said to Nancy Reagan? I wonder if he would have made the decision if either of his parents suffered from Alzheimer's Disease?

See also - BBSNews for another interesting perspective

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Margaret left this morning and I have reclaimed my other room. Woohoo! There was more excitement tonight, as if last night's wasn't enough.

My human's aunty Kathy (not a relative but an old family friend), her daughters Evelyn and Elaine and Evelyn's partner Nathan came around for dinner. They had spatchcock (0.5kg, under 1 lb chickens) for dinner, with mash (potato, butternut pumpkin and sweet potato) and blanched green beans.

Not only did I not get any of those baby chickens, but I had to wait for my second helping of dinner (as my human had to cook up another batch of chicken drumsticks for me) and I didn't get to sit on any of the visitor's laps.

Ho hum, why does my human invite non-cat people over, or those with allergies? It's very rude.

keisercat@wildmail.com

Paris Hilton

I couldn't resist.

Here are some great pictures of Paris Hilton.







And you thought I meant the blond bimbo?

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

What a strange day today. My human returned home after work with Margaret and Mary who sat at the dining table partaking in cheese and wine. Then Emily came over for the usual Wednesday night. Thank goodness, as she let me sit on her lap as usual (I do so look forward to Emily visiting). The humans had hokkien noodles for dinner.

I forgot to mention yesterday that my human returned home with a new piece of carpet mat. He was going to use it just inside the front door for humans to wipe their shoes, but I claimed it as my own and he moved it to a spot for me on which to lie.

Anyway, I thought I reclaimed my day bed and room, but Margaret has taken over it again so I'm not allowed in it again. Hmmppphhhh! It is my house and my furniture, yet I have to accommodate visitors. How rude!

keisercat@wildmail.com

What Bush said...

See, the irony is what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over.

It was a private conversation between US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

See - transcript courtesy of Washington Post

All the Australian media outlets (TV, radio and press) reported the conversation as is, with no fuss about the word "shit".

The US media on the other paw, emphasised Bush's 'cursing', 'expletive' etc and whether to censor it or not.

See for example - USA TODAY of 17 July 2006

Hello? There is something seriously wrong when the media think the issue is whether they should include or not include the word "shit".

The greater issue is the private opinions of two world leaders about the Hezbollah/Israel conflict and what it means.

And what about all the innocent civilians who are being killed? Imagine what they would be saying as the bombs hit - "oh shit, here comes a fucking bomb again". Yeah!

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

My human finished work half an hour earlier today and Malgosia gave him a car ride home so my human surprised me when he got home. It was great though as he gave me lots of hugs and cuddles before my dinner.

He had a steak for dinner tonight so I begged and begged until he relented and gave me three small bite sized pieces.

keisercat@wildmail.com

Antarctica

Some countries are thinking of mining Antarctica.



Well, with global warming and the melting of the ice, it should make it easier for them.

See - 'Black Ice' by Andrew Darby in The Age of 17 July 2006

I hope the penguins start getting nasty...



*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

What a strange day today. My human left to go to work this morning, and then later Margaret left with her bags.

Thankfully my human came back home after work!

keisercat@wildmail.com

new paintings now on the wall

The paintings that my human bought from Darwin came back from the framer (frame-maker?) on Thursday. They are on the wall now and impressing viewers.


Sonda Turner Nampiijinpa (born 1956) 'Bushfire Dreaming - Watyi-Wannu' (acrylic on canvas)


Andrew Marrgululu Wanambi (born 1959) 'Bunda' - billabong scene at Gatji Waterhole (acrylic on canvas)

And a linocut bought from the framer


'The Front Gate' by Aileen Maloney

Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation

The Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation is five years old today.

What a name for a bilateral treaty. So typically communist in language. You'd think that a simple name like 'Cooperation Treaty' would suffice.

I told my human and he laughed. He's drafted a few bilateral Memoranda of Understanding between the Australian and other foreign governments over the years and he knows how agreeing on the use of words can be finicky.

See - text of treaty

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I have been mightily offended at not being able to sit on the other available laps in this house. Not only won't Margaret let me near her lap, but she is in my other (day) room. I did sit on Mary's lap this morning though and she even talked to me.

Anyway, I only had a quick cuddle with my human this morning and he, Margaret and Mary left to go and visit the late Jake's (the ginger tom) humans for lunch. After my human and Margaret returned, I had a nice long nap together with my human on the couch. I love our afternoon naps together.

keisercat@wildmail.com

Rembrandt 400

Today is the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's birth.

He was one the most notable Dutch painters (Vincent van Gogh was another), and also very prolific. Rembrandt produced over 600 paintings, 300 etchings, and 2,000 drawing. He also liked painting himself (self-portraits) and did nearly 100 (he must have had some serious issues).

You couldn't miss a Rembrandt painting if you saw one, just like you'd recognise a van Gogh.


The Night Watch or The Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq, 1642, Oil on Canvas, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Interesting works, but too dark and serious to hang in my house (and also too expensive).

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I knew the weekend would be great. It was cold, dark and raining today. My human only left me for a short time around midday. He went to visit Kettles and gave her human Klaudia a jar of preserved lemons, then went to the shops for supplies. In the mid afternoon we a had nice nap together on the couch.

Then we had visitors. Woohoo. Margaret and Mary came over. Mind you, I did not get to sit on their laps at all (something about allergies). Bah humbug.

Later on, Sue D came over. And all the humans had coq au vin for dinner (pronounced cok our varn) in celebration of yesterday's Bastille Day. I think it could have been coq au vin-daloo (thanks Jeter Harris) but vin/wine and daloo would have tasted disgusting. My human doesn't get that joke...

keisercat@wildmail.com

football - round 15

Football - round 15, a narrow win (talk about winning at the very last minute)

KANGAROOS: 4.4 7.12 8.16 11.18 (84)
BRISBANE LIONS: 2.3 5.5 7.9 12.13 (85)
GOALS - Kangaroos: Thompson 3, Harding 2, Harvey 2, Wells 2, Green, Schwarze
Brisbane Lions: Akermanis 3, Bradshaw 2, Rischitelli 2, Charman, Moody, Pask, Sherman, Voss
BEST - Kangaroos: B.Rawlings, Thompson, Petrie, Makepeace, Sinclair, Pratt Brisbane Lions: Akermanis, Moody, Drummond, Sherman Rischitelli, Voss
INJURIES - Brisbane Lions: Brennan (ankle)
UMPIRES - Margetts, Grun, Ryan
CROWD - 22,947 at Telstra Dome


Michael Voss handball


Vossy vs Brady Rawlings




Michael Rischitelli


Josh Drummond about to mark over Ben Schwarze


Justin Sherman (the Sherminator) tackling Corey Jones


Aker, after the siren