by Grania

Good morning! PCC(E) is still feeling the effects of timezone-hopping so I am with you again today.

Today in 1928 Disney released Steamboat Willie which was the first the studio had released with fully synchronized sound. The Jazz Singer had appeared in cinemas the previous year which had pretty much sealed the fate of sound in movies, prompting Disney to produce this short.

In 1978 in rather more grim news, Jim Jones convinced members of his cult to commit suicide – and murder in some cases – in Jonestown, Guyana. Whatever grandiose legacy the madman wished to leave behind him, his legacy appears to be the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” which is fitting if nothing else.

It’s Kirk Hammett‘s birthday (1962) today as well. He’s the lead guitarist with Metallica. Here he is on a guitar solo strutting his stuff.

Over in Poland, Hili is still scheming, although I suspect the plans now included maximum comfort as a prerequisite. And he’s still chatting with the lovely actress Gaia Weiss, the daughter of Andrzej’s niece:

Hili: We have to reach as far as possible.
Gaia: And beyond.
(Photo: Gaia)

In Polish:

Hili: Musimy sięgać tak daleko jak to możliwe.
Gaia: Albo jeszcze dalej.
(Zdjęcie: Gaia)

Here’s a new Leon:

Leon: And they are not trimming its claws!

And in keeping with the solemn tone, here is a lagniappe from Twitter. I did not know this was a thing. Apparently it is.

It’s Friday. We’re all tired. So here’s some photos of cats wearing hats made from their own hair. Enjoy. pic.twitter.com/iKUIzto9k0

— Lindsey Fitzharris (@DrLindseyFitz) November 18, 2016

Finally, we have Gus. Out in frigid Winnipeg, he’s sleeping away the cold winter days:

by Grania

Welcome to the penultimate episode of Election2016 With a Vengeance. Tomorrow should be more of an epilogue than an action sequence. Scratch that. It had better be more of an epilogue than an action sequence.

The deep and bitter divisions in society right now seem to have reached simmering point, and have in no small way been helped along over the years by talking heads on both sides of the spectrum some of whom now seem to regret ratcheting up animosity and resentment in their audiences. For more on this, check out the two articles linked in Sean Carroll’s tweet.

From opposite sides, Glenn Beck (https://t.co/nIkHr23srF) and Bill Maher (https://t.co/sWlmqxLVAc) regret crying wolf. Danger is real now.

— Sean Carroll (@seanmcarroll) November 7, 2016

If I wish anything from my place on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean, I hope that next week, and more importantly next year, the USA has a government that strives to function as best it can to serve its people effectively, rather than return to the Cold War style of blockading everything they possibly can to stymie the efforts of their ideological opponents to govern.

If you’ve had enough of this sort of stuff – and who can blame you – here are some soothing kittens:

https://twitter.com/EmrgencyKittens/status/795124830496559104

And here’s a dog who truly understands the meaning of the word Priorities.

This is Bruce. He never backs down from a challenge. 11/10 you got this Bruce pic.twitter.com/aI7umZHIq7

— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) October 23, 2016

Over in Dobrzyn, Hili has a Cunning Plan.

Hili: These hazelnuts must be put on the window sill.
A: Why?
Hili: There was a red squirrel there in the morning. It might come back.

In Polish:

Hili: Te laskowe orzechy trzeba wystawić za okno.
Ja: Dlaczego?
Hili: Była tam dziś ruda wiewiórka, może wróci.

We have two bonus appearances this morning from felid friends of Jerry.

Leon: Do you have something for me?

Carol sends this in on Gus.

We’ve emptied the water out of the pond for the winter but somebody still wants to drink from it…

It’s Hump Day, Wednesday, October 19: exactly one week before I flee the U.S. to escape the election (I already voted) and to talk and eat good food in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China.  In Albania, it’s Mother Teresa Day (marking the day she was beatified in 2003), and the less said about that the better.

On this day in 1512, Martin Luther became a doctor of theology, and the rest is history. Also on this day, but in 1812, Napoleon began his punishing retreat from Moscow. In 1900, it was on October 19 that Max Planck discovered his “law” of black-body radiation—the formal inception of quantum physics. In 1960, the U.S. imposed its formal trade embargo against Cuba, which continues in a modified form in this day (no Cuban cigars for you!). And 11 years ago today, Saddam Hussein went on trial for crimes against humanity, ultimately leading to his conviction and hanging.

Notables born on October 19 include Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910, for a short while one of my colleagues in Chicago), Lewis Wolpert (1929), Peter Tosh (1944), and Deborah Blum (1954). Those who died on this day include Jonathan Swift (1745), Edna St. Vincent Millay (1950), and cellist Jacqueline du Pré (died at age 42 in 1987 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis). Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is thinking Deep Thoughts while Mr. Cyrus contemplates a nap.

Cyrus: I’m going in.

Hili: I will indulge in contemplation a moment longer.

Cyrus: Wracam do domu.
Hili: Ja jeszcze chwilę będę kontemplować.

And in Wloclawek, Leon has taken it upon himself to oversee the neighbor’s harvest:

Leon: I’m supervising the beetroot harvest.

Finally, out in icebound Winnipeg, Gus continues to nom his box. This time he’s discovered the joys of gnawing on the sturdy corner:

It’s Monday, September 19 in Chicago, and it’s National Butterscotch Pudding Day! The chances are slim that any of us will have this comestible today, as I haven’t seen it on any menus in decades. But I’m sure you can buy the Jell-o brand in the store. It is good.

On this day in 1881, President James Garfield died of his wounds after an assassin shot him on July 2 (he almost certainly died of infection); Garfield, who had assumed the Presidency only that year, was succeeded by Chester Arthur. On Sept. 19, 1959, Nikita Krushchev was prohibited from visiting Disneyland due to security issues; he was mad. And, on this day 1991, Ötzi the Iceman, the preserved body of a 5000-year-old Copper Age man, was discovered by two tourists on the border between Austria and Italy. It remains the oldest “mummy” found in Europe.

Notables born on this day include Duke Snider (1926), Adam “Batman” West (1928), Cass Elliot (1944; went to my high school), Jeremy Irons (1948), and Twiggy (née Lesley Hornby, born 1949 and therefore almost my age). Those who died on this day include, beside James Garfield, mountaineer Lionel Terray (1965), Hermes Pan (1990), Skeeter Davis (2004), and Eddie Adams (also 2004). Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili, the spoiled cat, is slaking her thirst with some whole milk:

A: Why are you so thirsty?

Hili: Some mice are too salty.

Ja: Co ci się tak pić chce?
Hili: Niektóre myszki są przesolone.

And in the fields around his Forever-Home-to-Be, Leon exculpates himself:

Leon: It wasn’t me, it was beavers!

And out in Winnipeg where the caribou roam, Gus is hiding:

Good morning—especially to those of you bummed out by another week of work. But cheer up: it’s Chop Suey Day, as well as International Day Against Nuclear Tests. You can’t do much about the latter, and I can’t really recommend trying the culturally appropriated “Chinese” dish. But for Leisure Fascists and Food Police, it’s also “More Herbs, Less Salt Day.” What’s next: “National Coffee Enema Day”? Why don’t we have “Eat a Big Steak Day”?

On this day in 1911, Ishi, a member of the Yahi Tribe of Native Americans, walked into Oroville, California, searching for meat. He was 50 years old, starving, and the last recorded Native American to make contact with white colonizers (the rest of his tribe and family had died or been killed). He spent the remaining years of his life in an apartment in the Anthropology Museum of UC Berkeley, being a subject for study. Lacking immunity to “Western” diseases, he was often sick, and died of tuberculosis in 1916. On August 29, 1966, the Beatles performed their last paid concern before fans in Candlestick Park, San Francisco.

Notables born on this day include Temple Grandin (1947) and Michael Jackson (1958). Those who died on this day include Ingrid Bergman (1982) and bluesman David “Honeyboy” Edwards (2011), whom I once signed up as entertainment for a charity gig here in Chicago. Lovely guy, and I didn’t know he died till I looked up today’s events. Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is trying to be fearsome:

A: Why are you rushing to me?

Hili: To show you how sharp my claws are.

Ja: Dokąd pędzisz?
Hili: Pokazać ci jakie mam ostre pazurki.

And Leon is near the end of his hiking trip in southern Poland:

Leon: I don’t really feel like running, it’s too hot.

Finally, here are two new photos of Gus chilling in Winnipeg:

This is my favorite cat pose: reclining with both front paws tucked into the chest:

Cyrus: Carthage must be destroyed.

Hili: I don’t know, too much work.

Cyrus: Kartagina musi być zburzona.
Hili: Nie wiem, za dużo roboty.

Leon and his staff (Elzbieta and Andrzej) are hiking in southern Poland, and of course Leon goes along, sometimes on a leash, sometimes in his special backpack, sometimes draped across Elzbieta’s shoulders. Here are three photos from two days ago, with two Leon monologues

Leon: It’s true that I have nine lives but I have to be careful about vipers and bears.

Leon: I’m going to eat this catfood; you are not going to lug it.

And a freebie photo of Leon (he doesn’t seem to be hiking on his own paws much!):

And here’s Gus. His staff can’t figure out what his expression means. But we have experts on this site who can. Diana MacPherson?

It’s a very cool Sunday in Chicago (60° F or 16° C at sunrise, with rain prognosticated), and fall is coming on fast. It’s August 21, and it’s Ninoy Aquino Day in the Philippines, marking the assassination of Ferdinand Marcos’s political opponent in 1983—a killing that ultimately brought down Marcos and installed Ninoy’s wife, Cori Aquino, as President.

This is a big day in musical history, too, for it was on August 21, 1961 that Motown Records released what would become its first number one hit. It was by the Marvelettes, later covered by the Beatles. Can you guess the song? On this day in 1936, Wilt Chamberlain was born, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Later in his career (he died at 63 of heart failure), he became famous for his sexual exploits, estimating that he’d slept with 10,000 women in his life. Notables who died on this day include Sheriff Buford Pusser (1974), whom I’ve put in just because I like his name. But he was a colorful character, and a television show and several movies were based on his life. Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, we have another complicated Hili dialogue, which requires Malgozata to explain:

Explanation first:  “Sophism” in Polish is spelled “sofizm” and for Hili and Cyrus it is an inseparable part of their sofa [JAC: The words are similar in Polish.] Poland is now ruled (in a way deeply disapproved by both animals) by a party with the name “Prawo i Sprawiedliwość” (PiS) [JAC: That means “Law and Justice”.] So if there is sophism-sofa there must also be pisism-PiS.

Cyrus: Sophism is a great philosophy.
Hili: But it’s being driven out by pisism.

In Polish:

Meanwhile, Leon is in Southern Poland enjoying another walking trip. He and his staff are staying in a quaint cottage:

Leon: I’ve found a place suitable for meditation.

And, out in Winnipeg, Gus is, well, doing his usual thing: