Category: Fourre-tout

A cat called Calvin has been wandering in our neighborhood. He is extremely friendly and runs to our front door whenever he hears a car coming. He then meows rather loudly and seems to be asking for food.
But such is not the case. He barely nibbles on my offerings and meows some more. It appears that Calvin is lonely and looking for affection and possibly a new home.

Normally I would welcome him to our quarters, but our house is “chasse gardée” (private hunting ground), the exclusive preserve of Kate, our own cat. Kate, under a distinguished appearance, is fiercely territorial and throws screaming fits whenever another critter approaches our house.
She is definitely not a Good Samaritan and does not show any inclination to share our dwelling with another no-good vagabond cat. Reasoning with her has proved useless.

Calvin personal history is murky. I originally thought that he lived in the house next door, but then (through our neighborhood association) I was told that its owner moved away and left him behind. Unthinkable!
Then I was told again that its owner is alive and well but not excessively concerned about Calvin. In any case, Calvin is wearing a collar but without any identification tag.

I am wondering what could be done to make Kate like accept tolerate Calvin?
Calvin is affectionate while Kate is rather aloof. She is like a demanding mistress, taxing but rather miserly with her affection. Regardless of the situation she never purrs.
Calvin, on the other hand, is a prince of a cat, begging for love and more than willing to return it. Huge dilemma!

Kate is better looking (and she knows it) than Calvin, but Calvin is much more sociable than our beast. Kate might be willing to accept a kitten (that she could boss), but sharing her quarters with an interloper is totally out of the question.

What is a cat lover to do?

Alain

After scolding one’s cat, one looks into its face and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word. And has filed it for reference. –Charlotte Gray

“Those with very loud voices in their throats are nearly incapable of thinking subtle thoughts.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Some individuals are known to speak with loud unsettling voices… and they often seem to be unaware (?) of the irritation that it can cause.

This particular habit is not gender specific; both men and women can be equally afflicted with this disorder. Medically, it is categorized as an STD (Socially Transmitted Disease) and it can be dangerously catchy.

Does this condition stem from insecurity? It could very well be. Confident people don’t have to raise their voices to convey a message. Insecure people, on the other hand, might feel compelled to do so to be noticed.

If you speak calmly and articulate clearly, there is no need to be loud. As a matter of fact, a person speaking in a normal tone of voice carries more sway than a loud talker. A soft-spoken dictator like Bashar al-Assad can be scarier than a screaming maniac like Adolf Hitler.

It is difficult to confront loud individuals without creating a noisy disturbance.
The best solution would be to separate people into two distinct groups: the “loud speakers” and the “soft speakers”.
Restaurants, in particular, should lead the way. They already have “no smoking” areas… why not create “no-shouting areas”?

But ultimately, to counter a loud talker’s racket you will have to match his firepower. Counter his noise level with an equal or superior decibel grade.
I can picture a tiny mobile amplifier that would treble your voice’s level on command. When incommoded by a pesky loud talker, you would open fire with your own “loud voice” to neutralize or silence the opposition.
I think that this could work.

What do you think? I would like to know where you stand on this noisy issue.

Alain

To post an opinion click on the Leave a reply link located under the media icons. Thank you.

I have seen it and I like it!

Braving a thousand dangers, your fearless correspondent went to the Marin Civic Center war zone to investigate the construction project of a much-debated fence.

Well my friends, it looks even better than imagined… and it is not even entirely completed. Gates are still missing. It has been said that good fences make good neighbors… we are now safely separated from the dastardly canophiles across the dog park.
With the addition of electronic surveillance, there will be no more clandestine incursions from strung out “perros” and we can now sleep soundly at night.

Esthetically, the whole thing looks very appealing and I am convinced that instead of driving away potential new players it will entice them to a have a closer look at our game and our club.

Included in the fence, we now have a nice shaded picnic area that will undoubtedly be improved by Charlie D.

Great minds think alike.
This project was achieved thanks to numerous financial contributors and the indefatigable footwork of the Davantes-Moran clan who moved mountains to bring this undertaking to fruition.

Thank you, merci, gracias danke schön everybody for lending a hand and helping to improve our field of dreams.

Alain

To look at photos of this event, click on the “My Photos” link located on the right side of this page. For best viewing, go Full Screen.

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What do you think? I would like to hear from you. To leave a viewpoint, click on the Leave a reply link located under the media icons. Thank you.