Daily Archives: December 15, 2009

Dec 15

One New Kitty Update

Y’all, I don’t know if all cats are secretly doofuses or if living with us turns them doofy or what, but the cats are cracking me up. First of all, the tiny cat is walking around looking like she’s a baby seal, or a tiny sausage or a furry torpedo. I was worried that she’s gaining a bunch of weight, but NO. People, it’s just that it’s been so long since she’s had a full butt of fur in the wintertime that she’s walking around with it puffed out at full extension all the time.

And the new kitty! Well, she still does not like the dog, but she has no concept of sneak. So, when she wants something from the kitchen, she’ll just stand at the bedroom door until she thinks the dog is sound asleep and then she’ll take off a full gallop along the back of the house. If she just walked, the dog would stay asleep, because, like most cats, she walks very quietly.

But she runs like… well, frankly… like me. Ungracefully and clomping and loud.

So, there’s the dog all honk-shoo and the cat BARUMP BARUMP BAROOOOOM and then the dog starts to barking which then upsets the cat and then I start laughing because it’s hilarious.

I know she’s not quite a kitten any more, but I had forgotten how much ridiculous fun it is to have a young cat.

Dec 15

Two Brief Things

1. I have talked to TIRRC about whether they know of charities that don’t discriminate based on immigration status. They will be getting back to me. I will share what I know when I know it.

2. I talked to my dad because I mentioned his loaves and fishes theory over at Pith, and I could barely finish telling him about it before he was all, “Someone needs to call the mother church and report this. This is not right.” Ha, it just tickled me because I sometimes forget that I get my righteous indignation from him.

Dec 15

Tom Grimaldi, Christmas Hero

So, Tom Grimaldi walked into The Tennessean yesterday with presents for the little girl who got screwed over by the Salvation Army. And he was not the only person. According to the story, lots of readers called to ask what they could do.

These are the folks next year who should get to be the Grand Marshalls of the city’s Christmas Parade.

The Salvation Army is still crowing on about how they have to be fair to the greatest number of people. Let me be as clear as I can. When you would rather some children go without toys than have some con artists get too many, you are completely missing the point of Christmas. It is about as far from Christ-like as you can get to let some folks suffer either because you don’t like them or because you don’t want people to take advantage.

Christ said both to love your enemy as yourself and to turn the other cheek. This means you don’t get to stick it to the children of illegal immigrants at Christmas. That is not loving your enemy. And when con artists do you wrong, you turn the other cheek. You don’t turn around and make it more difficult for children to get toys.

I literally cannot believe that a Christian organization does not get that. I cannot believe that they could hold such anti-Christian positions and say them outloud in public and not die of shame and embarrassment on the spot.

It is appalling.

Will Christian charities get taken by con artists? Yes. Because, if they are doing their jobs right, they should be easy targets. If you have hardened your heart to the point where you aren’t an easy target for con artists any more, you are no longer operating in a Christ-like way.

I should be clear. I don’t think Christians have an obligation to be taken in by con artists. In fact, I agree that it makes you a poor steward if you don’t protect yourself somewhat. But if your protections make it difficult for people who genuinely need help to get it? Then you have gone too far.