Judge a man, not by the content of his character, but by the color of his cat.

Some news from my far left acquaintances

As all know, I used to be a labor organizer, and was a liberal almost all of my life. I haven’t changed that much, though I seem to change more all the time. What it means to be on the Left has changed quite a bit.

Most of my old friends and acquaintances, unsurprisingly, are on the left to the far left. Really far.

My old friend Mark Oppenheimer, a columnist for Tablet and a good person, writes a blog in which today he discusses our mutual acquaintance, Corey Robin. I knew Mark well as we were the same year in the same residential college at Yale. We met early freshman year and were what you might today call “frenemies,” but we were really friends. I don’t think Mark supported me for liberal party chair, but I’m pretty confident he’d denounce anyone who truly threatened me in the real world. And I would have his back as well.

I did not know Corey Robin well at all. He was a graduate student and a leader of the grad student union movement when I was a lowly undergrad and leader of the undergraduate student movement in support of Local 34 and 35, the unions for Yale workers in the dining halls, maintenance, and clerical jobs. I was a student dining hall worker and union member. Corey, as I recall, was one of those geeky Jewish boys I found extremely hot. But he was very grown up and no doubt had a girlfriend or was already married by them. I am certain I never made a pass at him.

Corey appeared again at UPenn a few years ago, on a book tour I think. I went to hear him speak and bought his book. He was great. Wedding ring, so I assure you I did not ask him out.

[Isn’t it funny that I feel the need to state over and over again that I did not ask an intelligent, attractive Jewish man out ever ever ever?]

Fast forward to today. Corey is a very well-know professor at CUNY, and he is radically anti-Israel, far, far Left, and a huge supporter and activist for Mamdani. Corey can rest assured that even if he got divorced and were the last attractive smart Jewish man on earth… which his political views might eventually yield, if taken to their logical extreme, I will not ask him out. Corey and Mrs. Corey who I’ll wager did not take his name, you are safe, from me anyway.

I am a friend of Corey’s on Facebook, and I read his long rants sometimes to keep up with what the intellectual wing of the pro-Palis is doing.

Also, Corey has a cat.

A gorgeous, apparently very loving gray tabby. I just love that cat. He often makes appearances on Facebook, looking like the purrfect professor’s cat.

I love gray tabbies. I had one for many years. In fact, I love all cats. Orange ones, black ones, gray ones, tuxies, white ones, calicos, torties, puffy fluffy and furry sleek, old and young, well brushed or matted, giant paws or tiny paws, fangs that hang out of the mouth or delicate teeth inside the mouth, mousers or can’t be bothered, indoor and outdoor, city cats and farm cats, Siamese in Oregon and Siberian Forest Cats in Boston, fluffy Charlie in South Jersey and my kitty friends outside of Akron, all six of my friend L’s cats from giant fluff ball to tiny calico kitten. I love cats. ALL CATS IN ALL CAPS. ALL CATS.

Black cats’ lives matter. Did you know that black cats are the last to be adopted and the most abused? They are in danger in Halloween season as some horrible people still torture black cats. They are not bad luck. The only thing that is bad luck is failing to serve a black cat in whatever way she requires. Hang on while I get Loviefluffy some more treats!

All cats lives matter! Including those whose human parents disagree with me on any number of things. So while I disagree with him on a great many things, I respect Corey Robin because he is an excellent kitty father.

Another person on the Left whom I follow is the brother of one of my closest friends from college. Mark Engler and his younger brother Paul Engler co-author many articles. Here is the latest: Billionaires Should Not Exist. Someone else in their circles actually wrote this one, but you can check out their Substack for plenty of their articles.

Mark and Paul do some of what I find the best thinking on the Left. If you want to find out what the smart people, not the wackos without a job or a clue, on the Left are doing, check out the younger Engler brothers.

I’ve never met Paul, but I’ve met Mark many times. In fact, he lives around the corner from me with his lovely, successful wife and two beautiful children. He’s a great person, but what sticks with me most about the last time I saw him is that he had a wonderful cat. I believe the kitty, who was old at the time, has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. But I remember the kitty being social and sweet, and Mark is an excellent cat dad.

In these times when we find relationships ending over political differences, let us remember that in the end, we all have a role to play in service of Cat World Domination. Even dog people can bring the world closer to rule by our furry feline overlords.

For those unfortunates who are petless, there is one who can restore you to sanity. That one is a cat. May you find one meow.

Whatever the character of a man, if he is a good cat dad of a cat of any color, breed, or fur length, he is a good man.

Your paid subscriptions go to the care and feeding of this rescue panther princess. Your love and support whether paid or not keep us both going.