Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

This fight is for everything.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

People are weird.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Acts of Kindness: Ukranian Kids Fundraiser

Acts of Kindness: Ukranian Kids Fundraiser

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I know a lot of folks wanted to do something after reading the post about talented and courageous Andrei last week. Dan Gutman has it covered:

ETA: Scout211 has this additional fundraiser:

For the romance readers here, you can currently preorder a romance anthology Nightingale: An Anthology for Ukraine.  The release date is April 5 and costs  $7.99 for the Kindle version.

NIGHTINGALE is a romance anthology with over FIFTY original, never-before-seen stories from bestselling authors. 100% of the royalties will be donated to relief and human rights organizations working in Ukraine.

 

Acts of Kindness: Ukranian Kids Fundraiser

Here’s a little Willow for you. I’ve never seen a cat who eats as much as this little one does. Emma ate a lot for her little 6 lbs, but Willow is voracious. She discovered rotisserie chicken last week and has haunted me ever since – even wants the soup I made from the carcass. She sits with the dogs when I’m offering up treats and it doesn’t matter what I’m prepping in the kitchen, she sits at my feet hoping for treats from heaven (which how the chicken happened, I dropped a piece and that was that).

If there were any doubts she’s Maine Coon, all you have to do is pick her up, she’s a rock, though still a tiny kitten. All muscle and probably 10 lbs now.

As you can see, my “no cats on the table” training is going well. Though, in fairness, she’s now staying on the chair for longer when I pick her up and move her to the chair. We’ll get there.

This is an open thread!

Reader Interactions

40Comments

  3. 3.

    Yutsano

    KITTEH!!!

    Today was just…a Monday. I know I am shallow for feeling this way but oh man I’m just tired now.

  4. 4.

    Scout211

    For the romance readers here, you can preorder a romance anthology, Nightingale: An Anthology for Ukraine.  The release date is April 5 and costs  $7.99 for the Kindle version.

    NIGHTINGALE is a romance anthology with over FIFTY original, never-before-seen stories from bestselling authors. 100% of the royalties will be donated to relief and human rights organizations working in Ukraine.

  6. 6.

    Jess

    Thought y’all might be pleased to learn that a local gallery (Creative Connections in Ashburnham, MA) just opened a show with a Russian artist who is auctioning off all the works to send funds to Ukrainian relief efforts. Nice!

  11. 11.

    Bill Arnold

    Ear tufts, check.
    Furry feet, check. (The feet will probably get much larger, too.)
    Big bushy tail, check.

    The male one in residence at my house, at about 1 year old, looking at a webcam that emailed me a still on motion detect, because I left him for a couple of days:
    https://geekpic.net/pm-2DDW7Q.html
    That one opens doors. Lever handles; he can’t do doorknobs.
    (I taught him cat combat because he didn’t have a mother or siblings to teach him.)

  12. 12.

    Edith

    I have a rescue Maine Coon. He was almost 16 pounds when we brought him in after a few years as a stray. In the middle of winter. His paws are something else; I spent the first year we had him saying, he’s got man hands!” every time he started making biscuits.

    He filled the empty spot in my heart after my Meezer died. There are/were other cats in the household, and I love them, but that special connection wasn’t there. It’s funny, because you can’t imagine two cats more different in personality, but he’s definitely a special boy. All the vets and vet techs fall in love with him too.

    Enjoy your new kitty.

  13. 13.

    TaMara

    @Bill Arnold: LOL, he’s adorable.

    I’m terrified of what she’s going to be able to do. Zander for sure has some Maine Coon in him, but his ginger keeps him pretty mellow. She, on the other hand, is a wild child and loves to start things with Trixie so she can rough and tumble with her.

  15. 15.

    burnspbesq

    Pretty quiet here, finally. The worst of the weather has apparently moved out of metro Austin to the north and east. Plenty of damage and some amazing video, but so far no reported fatalities.

  22. 22.

    eclare

    @Scout211:   Thanks!  I’ll try it tomorrow, too late to do anything technical, for me.

    I don’t usually read romance, but I like to read, and I want to support UKR.  And I love short stories!

  24. 24.

    Bill Arnold

    @eclare:
    The kindle apps for iPhone and android are both OK, and amazon has browser-based reader as well. (Unless one objects to amazon in general. FWIW, many authors like having Kindle editions of their work.)

  26. 26.

    eclare

    @burnspbesq:   Glad you’re OK.  A friend in Plano lost power for a few hours, I don’t think he was expecting that.  Like you said, the randomness.

  29. 29.

    opiejeanne

    @burnspbesq: 
    I’m also glad you’re ok. Tornados scare the shit out of me, being a California girl, and I always forget that they can start so early in the year.
    My Missouri cousins always laughed at us for being afraid of them, but then they are terrified by the slightest little movement of the earth. That silly movie by Steve Martin with all of the Californians ordering coffee during an earthquake is pretty much spot on.

  30. 30.

    eclare

    @opiejeanne:   I live on the New Madrid fault, ground movements terrify me.

    Tornados seem to be migrating further east, around Nashville, so I don’t really worry in Memphis.

  31. 31.

    Martin

    @burnspbesq: Yep. Stay safe there. My mom had a tornado last week a few miles from her, heading her way. She too was lucky. At least you can sleep better knowing an earthquake isn’t going to chuck you out of bed.

  32. 32.

    opiejeanne

    @eclare: We had a very nice lunch in the tiny little town of New Madrid, MO in 2019, a basket of fried chicken and French fries, done perfectly.

    New Madrid was a huge earthquake, I would be terrified in one that big, but they are rare. I think the strongest I’ve ever felt was the San Fernando quake in 1970, a 6.5-6.6, and we were out in Riverside, more than 50 miles away. It got us out of bed and we caught pictures that jumped off their hooks on the walls.

  34. 34.

    opiejeanne

    We got some good news today. Our son got married in January to a woman with two kids. Her abusive ex died of Covid in October, and her kids were calling him Dad before the wedding. The ex walked out on them when the girl was 5 and the boy 3, and I think some of her behavior could be avoidance of conflict (she is starting to look us in the eye). They are just great kids, Awesome kids, and we are instant grandparents to them.

    We spent the day with them in Astoria, Oregon today and had some fun with them. Both are on the autism spectrum but low, and the 12yo boy is Type 1 diabetic and ADHD. He gave me a light saber he made out of paper and I bought him a book on finding the Titanic because that’s his current obsession.

    Before they got married they talked about maybe having a baby, and she was pregnant before anyone could even blink. She’s 39, He’s 51. I had asked them to work with a geneticist before they got busy so they would have an idea of what they might be dealing with, but instead she had to work with one after she found out she was expecting. The good news is that the baby is fine, healthy, no issues, none of the many, MANY genetic problems that exist. I have tried not to get excited because it’s still early in the pregnancy and sometimes pregnancies just end about the time you find out, but it’s starting to look like we’re going to be grandparents of a baby. I have to say that I always liked my kids more the older they got, so the Instant Grandchildren are a real treat. I loved mine as babies, but not because they were babies but because they were ours. I knew people, women mostly, who were besotted with their babies until they started walking and talking, and wanted another baby because they missed that.

    I think I’m about to become besotted.

    It looks like it might be a girl. I don’t know why that made me so happy, because I’m delighted that it’s healthy, and will take whatever we get. Due in October.

  35. 35.

    opiejeanne

    @eclare: We rarely felt the small ones unless we were sitting down. I’d come home from HS and my grandma would tell me that we’d had an earthquake. It had to be about a 4 or higher, and nearby before we got excited. Mostly we’d just wait and listen to see if it was going to get worse or go away.

    I think I’ve noticed one little bouncy one since we moved to Washington, just rattled the dishes in the sideboard a little, but the cats thundering through the upstairs can cause that.

  37. 37.

    opiejeanne

    @eclare: I was wrong, the epicenter was about 75 miles away. The fault that moved crossed an “extinct” fault line on my parents’ street in Temple City, and made it jump. Knocked down theirs and their neighbors’ chimneys. Just the top part, but enough bricks that it would have killed anyone that it landed on.

  38. 38.

    opiejeanne

    @eclare: I have a couple of darling little dresses that belonged to my daughters, and the christening dresses that our kids wore when they were babies. Alas, my DIL is a JW so no birthday or Christmas presents, no christening. (Such spoilsports.)

  39. 39.

    eclare

    @opiejeanne:   Boo!  Christmas is all about the kiddos.  I am sure you will come up with some festivities of your own to enjoy, like baking cookies.  And you can always dress the baby up just because!  And play dress up with the little girl!

    Again, congratulations!

  40. 40.

    opiejeanne

    @eclare: Thank. you. The “little girl” is 13, and has absolutely no taste in clothes, as in “has no preference”. I couldn’t get her to tell me her favorite color to wear when we shopped for clothing for the wedding.

    As for Christmas cookies, they asked if they could come and help make them. I was stunned, but gladly invited them and we had a lot of fun that day. The two kids were fascinated by the tree and decorations, especially James. I have no idea where the line is and am trying not to push against it, just feeling my way. I will ask when I need to, but generally try to keep myself out of trouble.

    And the two kids are thrilled that they are going to have a baby in the house.

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