Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Tabby Tabitha Report

I had seven e-mails about the new cat.  Trish may have spoken for many when she said, "I need an easy fluff post.  The world is so depressing.

So let us talk about Tabby.

Tabby is a sweet cat.

She loves the windows and mainly the big one in the living room.

That is her ledge.

Of course, she believes every spot is a landing spot.

She becomes "Tabitha" when I have to say, "Tabitha, there is glass on that end table."

She follows me around.

If I leave a room and go somewhere else, she will not dart right after me but she will travel there in her own time.

She is fine at a distance unless she is hungry (of course) of if I am reading.

If I am curled up with a book, she wants to curl up too (which is more than fine) and she will stay there as long as I do.

At night, she sleeps in my bedroom.

She starts out on her bed in a corner.

But at some point during the night, she will hop up on the bed and grab the empty pillow as her own.

She is a rescue cat.

She is sweet and I love her.

But her behavior makes me think she may have been beaten or else she is just naturally cautious.

Like getting into the bed after I am asleep, for example.

I have put her on the bed. 

She jumped off the first night which is why I got her her own little bed the following day.

She will go to that by herself.

But, again, she will hop in the bed after I am asleep.

She is very sweet.

I hope she is just cautious but some of her caution makes me fear she may have been treated poorly before being abandoned.




This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for today:


Thursday, June 15, 2017.  And look at all that 'progess' in The Mosul Slog.




More than 100 Islamic State militants launch counterattack in Mosul after months of heavy fighting with Iraqi forces





Day 239 of The Mosul Slog and still it continues.

239 days ago, the Iraqi government finally launched an operation to liberate or 'liberate' Mosul.  The city was seized by the Islamic State in June of 2014.

239 days later and still the slog continues.


Situation in on 14 June 2017 - claims counterattack against forces south of the old city failed to capture ground







The Mosul Slog has increased the number of refugees.



The US criticizes Assad & Russia for bombing hospitals but does exactly the same in




And the destruction -- of hospitals, homes . . .


And it has increased the amount of  War Crimes.

Civilians have been harmed by Iraqi forces, disappeared by them, killed by them.

And there's the use of White Phosphorus.



US-led coalition acknowledges use of white in amid mounting criticism



It's a city still filled with people, still filled with children.

And White Phosphorus is being used.



Meanwhile in Iraq. 100,000 children threatened as conflict escalates in west via



Time to invade the US for some regime change? US using chemical weapons in Mosul & Raqqa:








In the US, many Iraqi immigrants are being threatened with deportation.






Trump pledged to protect Iraqi Christians from ISIS, now he's deporting them





Is that accurate?  Because it's being repeated.


Perspective | promised he would protect persecuted . Instead, he's sending them back to .



Niraj Waikoo (DETROIT FREE PRESS) reports:


Immigration officials today strongly defended their arrests of Iraqi immigrants over the weekend, saying the U.S. detained 114 people in metro Detroit with criminal pasts who posed security threats.
Today's statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was the first time officials said how many were detained in sweeping raids of Iraqi nationals targeted for deportation. Many of the detained immigrants are Christians who say they fear that deportation to Iraq would jeopardize their lives since they are a minority there and under siege.
But ICE said today the detainees have criminal pasts and already faced final removal orders from a judge.
"The operation in this region was specifically conducted to address the very real public safety threat represented by the criminal aliens arrested," Rebecca Adducci, field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit, said in a statement. "The vast majority of those arrested in the Detroit metropolitan area have very serious felony convictions, multiple felony convictions in many cases. I applaud the efforts of the law enforcement personnel who, day in and day out, put their lives on the line to protect this community."



See the problem?

Donald Trump also promised to enforce immigration laws.

If you're building your coverage on one promise only and not noting the other, you're discrediting yourself at a time when journalism is already discredited.

That's not advocating for the immigrants to be removed from the country, that's saying you need to tell the truth.  And you also need to investigate ICE's claims because they're saying something doesn't make it so.


The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley, PACIFICA EVENING NEWS, GORILLA RADIO and DISSIDENT VOICE -- updated: