Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn for April 14, 2019

I suddenly have a whole new understanding of “Papa oom ma mow mowPapa oom mow mow.” And who knew rain slickers could protect you from a wall of unwanted sound. I learn something new every day here on BCN.

So reminds me of the box of instruments our kids had 45 years ago…they LOVED them. The cat not so much.

Love their survival gear. A rain slick hat?

My cat Trouble despised me when I would practice my flute. I’d get glared at and she would immediately demand passage to the outdoors. If I was practicing piccolo, I’d get some growls to go along. After going off to college, she got a break, that is until my senior year when I decided to practice something on a school break. As I started playing, my bedroom door was slammed open and she came stalking into the room and gave me a look as if to say “WHERE did you dredge that thing back from and WHY didn’t you leave it there!!!”

Deaf cats don’t mind the noise, they just mind getting hit with something.

I read the first panel and made the most dramatic “OH NO!” gasp. Anything but a box of kiddie musical instruments! Poor, poor Woman! Poor, poor everyone but Lupin, actually…

“And then just…went away again. To a quiet place,” made me laugh. Puck’s being so nice about it, rather than saying “Come back here and suffer the consequences of your actions!” The Baby is so cute – Elvis looks so adoring – but I’m glad I can’t hear that “feedback machine”.

Years ago I nearly bought a kids’ percussion set from the Smithsonian catalog. It had a little bongo, maracas, tambourine, etc. Figured it would be a fine Christmas present for my nephews. Then realized that, if I did, my brother and sister-in-law would never speak to me again.

So, musical instruments are weather now, like birds?

It’s nice seeing the children have fun with their musical instruments.

Pucky looks like a deranged Dalek

Who else is hearing The Baby singing the “Meow Mix” theme?

And I don’t know where kazoos go, but if it’s heaven, I’m not sure I want in. Either I’ll just come back here as a cat, or ideally (this being heaven and all) there’ll be a “no kazoos” zone, like “no smoking” seats in restaurants.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Continuing to send lots of healing purrs, paw power, orb bumps and boops to lift up our poorly Pucky’s orb))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ♥♥♥ I just found out that he wasn’t feeling well, poor darling! He needs a BIG spoon! I know Georgia, the Man, and their kidlets are being that for him and we are with them in spirit. ♥

Good to see that the baby is learning to speak the important language.

Soon to be an ‘ex-friend’ of the woman…………!

“If kazoos went to Heaven.”

Medical catnip?

Have you ever looked at your paws, Lupin? I mean really looked?

In my younger days, I considered doing this for my sisters toddler and baby; after all, I was stationed on another continent – they’d have a lot of fun and I’d be safely out of reach – but I decided to be nice to my sister and usually sent them quiet toys. I told her about this urge a few years ago, when she became a grandmother…

What’s with the yellow gowns?? That’s a nice cat-hat Puck’s wearing. the one that has got cat ear shapes to accommodate the cat ears. If only we bears had such hats. We needn’t have cut holes to pop out our ears!

In panel six, I think the toddler needs more cowbell…

Meanwhile Burt, safely in the control room, can turn off the volume.

Heaven must be missing a kazoo,

Missing one kazoo, child,

‘Cause the Baby’s here right now,

Your music’s heavenly to me, Baby!

…….

Boom Box, filled with sound that rocks

I hear all that I can get

Of my Baby’s voice

Mow mow, that sound comes in showers

And each and every hour

I can hear that kazoo’s power.

…….

There’s cacophony all around

But it doesn’t drown out that sound

When I hear mow mow I feel all the love,

And if there is silence from above,

…….

It’s ’cause Heaven must be missing a kazoo

Missing one kazoo, child,

‘Cause the Baby’s here right now,

Your music’s heavenly to me, Baby!

Tavares: Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel

Could be worse…the friend could have just given them each a recorder (aka Satan’s flute).

Was this really a “friend” of the woman? Or perhaps a soon to be ex-friend?

Receiving a box of musical instruments means we’re all DOOMED!!!

One mans music is another mans cacophony.

My Great-granddaughter just had her first birthday and I think every toy she got made some kind of sound.

What’s with the raincoats??

A “friend” of the Woman’s? Don’t you mean “ex-friend”?

Not to worry, the children will abandon the instruments once the novelty wears off…or the cats run away from home. LOL.

I took violin in second grade. The only thing I ever learned to play was the universal song of elementary-school instrument lessons: "Hot Cross Buns.’

Years later I attended an elementary-school concert where The Boy’s training partner (he studied tae kwon do and they earned their black belts together) was one of a number of students performing.

I got home and posted the following on Facebook:

“Dear Mom and Dad: I had no idea. I am so sorry.”

My folks gave me toy drum and told me to beat it.

I had a plan – I was going to wait until my brother had kids, saving my money in the meantime, and then I was going to be THE COOL AUNT!! Anything that made noise, smells, or was aggravating in any way that could remotely be considered to be educational, I would buy for the little angels.

Because education is important and can’t be argued against!

Because my brother aggravated ME, of course. Pity neither one of us ended up with children…

When I was in college my husband and I rented an apartment with a metal pants hanger attached to the back of the bathroom door. It was the kind that accomodated several pair of pants and folded against the door when not in use. We had a cat who was confined to the bathroom at night. He didn’t like this arrangement and all night long would wail and strum on that pants hanger like it was a misbegotten zither. It was a real inducement to get an better place.

Um…why are they wearing rain jackets indoors?

I love how Elvis goes from total disapproval and indignation to cooing over his Baby Girl!

This was the scene at my mom’s house when the young’uns were all there at Xmas. As soon as they arrived, they raided the toy box & handed around every noisemaker they could find. Even the grownups all got one. You can imagine the din!

Sis’s cat was the smart one – she knew what was coming & had hightailed it upstairs as soon as the kids started arriving. After they all left, I went upstairs & found her under my bed. In the whole week & a half we were there, it was the only time I saw her hide under the furniture.

Did anyone notice the Japanese den-den daiko in panel four? It reminded me of that scene in Karate Kid II when Daniel takes on that bully Chozen and gets inspired by all the locals with their hand drums (den-den daiko) on a great karate move during the Obon Festival.

Elvis’ comment in the last panel still has me smiling and chuckling. I’ll have to remember that line next time I have to deal with noisy children (fortunately, a rare occurrence.)

The baby can do no wrong!

Of course kazoos go to heaven – all inequities are healed there and they sound wonderful…. 8^)

I observe how clever Lupin stays at the anchor desk. Smart cat, he is.

Whoever left those instruments is no friend! A whole box of headache inducing cat traumatizing sounds. Oh the poor People and Boys.

The Baby is impossibly adorable in the last panel.

Speaking as a semi-pro kazoo player who makes his own kazoos and does setup on them, I don’t take kazoo criticism, explicit or implied, kindly. A kazoo is like a sewer. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.

Well that was a weird comment! As far as English is concerned…My heavens, it’s just a comic strip!!! Get over it!

Given the weather slant today, the news ticker could read: “Maelstrom of Music(?) Details at 11 !!”

Doesn’t anyone realize that both children would have found their own noisemakers? After all, why else would everyone have things like kettles and wooden spoons?But I think it is so cute that Elvis thinks his baby girl is so talented,

Elvis speaks for me in Panel #5.

As I sit here enjoying my daily BCN comic, I decided to make myself a sandwich. So when I returned to my desk with my Ham and Cheese sandwich I brought a slice of deli ham for my two overlords. Yasina was wanting to be hand fed and her brother Yarrow kept trying to steal hers. they both got half. they have now toddled off to watch the birds from their respective cat trees. Life is good!

This is how I got myself banished from my step-sister’s house. Noisy music toys for my nieces.

Repeat as required as the effect wears off and invitations resume.

Paybacks are a Biatch.

Confession time…every musical instrument my children got….came from me!

Rosie never reacted to any of my instruments (piano, guitar, bass, 5 string banjo, trombone, trumpet) until I got my first melodica (sounds like a harmonica, blow in one end, select notes with a small keyboard). As soon as I start to play, she runs into the room, jumps up on my leg and starts to harmonize! (until I start laughing and can’t play anymore)

It’s not such bad grammar for cats. Furthermore, spoken grammar is less formal than written grammar, in most cases.

The rain gear could be a subtle nod to Night Vale. And now the weather….

…wait – is it really a secondhand box? Is it full of new musical instruments? Is it a new box, full of secondhand musical instruments? or is it a secondhand box, full of secondhand instruments?…

I like the giraffe-head bango

When my mother was alive, she did shopping for Operation Santa Claus, purchasing gifts for needy kids. And most of the adults filling out the forms listed sizes, favorite colors, what the kid’s into, etc. But she once got a form where the mother simply wrote “age-appropriate items”, and that’s it.

So Mom purchased a drumming machine.

What are Pucky and Elvis wearing?