The Victors

Saturday, 31 August 2013
(№ 17) Michigan 59-9 Central Michigan
1-0, Big Ten 0-0

Scoring fifty-nine points is always the sign of a potent offense, even against an inferior opponent. That said, I rather liked Coach Hoke's downbeat reaction after in the on-field post-game interview. The valiant Wolverines drew far too many flags, being penalized too many times for too many yards, & always fairly. The play of quarterback Devin Gardner at the start of the game was terrifying. Was it just first-game nerves? Still, we are not so far removed from the worst years of Michigan football in living memory, so I remain grateful for each & every victory.

Next: (№ 14) Notre Dame, under the verdammt lights at Michigan Stadium. This should be a stern test for the Maize & Blue; a victory would provide ample reason for optimism about the season ahead. I believe the valiant Wolverines will prevail.

Go Blue!

Operation AXIOM
Sixty-eight years ago to the day, 2 September 1945, the Second World War ended with the formal surrender of the Empire of Japan in a ceremony aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Victory over Japan Day was celebrated a fortnight earlier, on 15 August, but the war did not come to an official close 'til the Instrument of Surrender was inked. The war had raged properly for six years almost to the day, since 1 September 1939, but fighting had begun nearly eight years earlier than that, when Japan invaded Manchuria on 18 September 1931. The apocalypse of the Second World War claimed more lives than any other conflict in history, & nothing less than civilization itself hung in the balance. Civilization beat back barbarism, at least temporarily; remember what civilization has endured & what obstacles it has had to conquer before you despair over our latter-day travails. The Empire of Japan surrendered, ending the Second World war, sixty-eight years ago to-day.

Hello, Kitty
The veterinarians' office reported that Diva had elevated levels of bacteria in her urine, which was also more basic & less acidic than it should have been; so, twice a day we've been force-feeding her a few milligrams of a medicinal liquid. We also set up a second litter box in the downstairs water closet, to complement her usual litter box in the basement. She's evinced no locomotive difficulties, so I see no reason why she can't be expected to use her normal litter box location, but I'm game for almost anything that might lower the boom on her "inappropriate eliminations." So far so good, she's been using her new ground floor littler box & generally seems peppier & friendlier. I am very glad that the problem seems, for now, to have been medical rather than behavioral.

He's Dead, Jim
Diva doesn't like being force fed her medicine, but she's never been much of a runner so capturing her hasn't been a problem. Alas, when she was declawed her rear claws were left in place, per the vet's advice, & to-night she scratched me deeply as I held her for the evening dose. Just one claw raked across the blubber over my ribs, just below the left man-boob. I think she cut me, technically, since she drew blood, but if it is a cut its barely a cut & I'm comfortable calling it a scratch.