From Wikipedia, a timeline of events on 9/11

Dog and cat friendships

(Personally, I'd keep that puppy away from the tiger. No such thing as a tame wild cat.)

Covid variants and increase in cases

The new variants and increase in covid cases in the US and abroad are not surprising.

I'm thinking that the newer variants and their spread are likely a result of China dropping all of its covid restrictions in December, 2022.

After the initial covid infections in 2019 in China, the Chinese government imposed draconian control methods in a "zero covid policy." They forced isolation of infected people in groups at special housing for them. Consequently, a large part of the population was not exposed to covid. In addition, China refused the RNA vaccines and created their own, which is not as effective.

As protests against the isolation methods grew, China abruptly dropped all requirements for mandatory isolation and other restrictions. By January of this year, covid cases in China soared, causing deaths and hospitalizations like the rest of the world had in 2020.

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/no-more-lockdowns-chinas-new-covid-landscape#:~:text=After%20three%20years%20of%20implementing,to%20address%20the%20current%20surge.

With all those newly infected people and business interactions and travel into and out of China, new variations and a rise in infections outside of China were inevitable.

It will probably not get as bad as 2020 here in the US. Vaccines and previous infections have decreased the susceptibility for most people here.

But those of us who are seniors and everyone who has an underlying health condition will need to be extra cautious, as if it were 2020 again.

Cat logic video

This is part of an ad for Rachel Ray Nutrish, which I know nothing about. I am posting it for the cat behavior, not for the food.

Cats knocking things over

This might have been posted before, but here it is for anyone who missed it or whose cat loves doing this. Note how they either look down as if investigating the results of an experiment, or look at their human in proud defiance.

Cats doing the crab walk - compilation

Pre Jacksonville shooting event not covered enough, IMO.

When the racist shooter, Ryan Palmeter, murdered 3 people at the Dollar General store in Jacksonville, the early reports mentioned the proximity of Edward Waters University to the store. Many people wondered why the University was mentioned. Here's why.

A bigger massacre was averted at Edward Waters just prior to the Dollar General shooting, thanks to alert students and campus security.

Palmeter was observed putting on a tactical vest by at least one EWU student, who alerted campus security. If you are a Black student at a primarily Black university, and you see a White man on campus putting on a tactical vest, you know that he is up to no good.

Campus security asked Palmeter for ID. Instead of producing ID, Palmeter left the parking lot, shadowed by security who reported him to police.

So it appears that Palmeter's original intent was to massacre as many students as possible. Interrupted in preparations for that, he went to the Dollar General store instead. A terrible tragedy for the 3 who were murdered there, as well as for their family, friends, and people in the parking lot (where one victim was killed) and in the store.

The student(s) and campus security who intervened at EWU and alerted the police deserve some recognition for their quick, decisive action. I just wish that Jacksonville police could have got to Palmeter before he reached the store.

Star membership question

I renewed my star membership in February in order to have hearts to give out. The star membership is good for one year.

So why have I received two messages today telling me about the benefits of a star membership and asking me to either become a star member or to renew membership?

I know that there is a fund drive going on now, so do those messages mean that if I don't contribute to the fund drive, my star membership will be dropped now after only 6 months?

Some background about Vivek Ramaswamy's family.

Does he come from a poor family, as he claims, who came to the US seeking a better economic life for themselves? According to this comment on Reddit, Ramaswamy's family is from the Brahmin caste in India. I don't know who the person is that posted this comment, or if what he says is true, but it is worth thinking about. Maybe an investigative journalist should look into it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TamilNadu/comments/12y4vne/the_interesting_caste_of_vivek_ramaswamy/

20 cross species adoptions and Bffs.