Yesterday, I witnessed the passing of one of the world’s greatest souls. This individual gave unconditionally of him self to his fellow beings. He was more human than most humans are. He was known by several names: Tiger, Tigger, Tigger Rue, Rue, Rue Cat, Stinky, Stinky Cat, Mr. Stinky, Poopoo, Poopoo Butt, Dingle Berry Kitty, Rocket Cat. He was more commonly known as Tigger. Tigger will be remembered by all of those who met him. He will be survived by several friends and loved ones. He will be remembered warmly by his fellow companions: Lumpy of five years, Tasha for two years and Mojo of six months. Tigger was also survived by his two owners Michele and myself. Tigger came into this world as he left it, purring and being loved. His early moments aren’t recorded; so much of it is little know. He was conceived in the regular feline way. Two cats in the moonlight, one male and one female. He was born with several other brothers and sisters. Once the litter was ready to be weaned; some caring human being brought the litter to the Humane Society of Salem. At the Humane Society of Salem, at the Salem City Center Mall, is where Tigger and I first met. I was with my first wife and stepdaughter, we all decided to see if we could find a pet to help our new family over a large bump in the relationship. There we were looking from cage to cage, interrupting kittens and cats in their play or slumber. Some sort of voyeur into their world, to them meant warmth, food, love, shelter and a few away to a good life. This was what Tigger must have been experiencing while he waited his fate of me and other coming into his life. The cages were in three rows and inset in the wall. A shield of plexiglass was the only barrier from their world and ours. Tigger was stretched out, relaxing from a long play session with one of his siblings. Around the corner my family came peering right into his living room. That is the moment that I first saw Tigger. There he was long and stretched out in his napping state. He may have been two or three months old at the time. Crested in swirls of orange, white and red was he. Patterns so delicate and precise that god took his time mapping out and painting this being. At this first glimpse I knew that he was the cat for me. We got the attention of an attendant and pointed Tigger out to see what type of cat he was. The attendant ushered us into the back room and bought him in to greet us. He lay in the attendant’s arm as if he was a baby. We passed him around and found that he was quite at ease with the three of us. That when we started the adoption process to take him home. After an interview with the Humane Society and given them some money. They wrapped Tigger up for us to take home. Once through the threshold of our home Tigger became a part of our family. Early on Tigger demonstrated a love of life. He went peacefully and loved this afternoon. It pains me a bit; he was my first cat ever. Him and I had shared a very bumpy journey, through separations, a child, a divorce and several relationships. He was my guide on tell who were good people and who were bad, a great judge of character he was. When I was in the deepest of my downs he was there just being himself. Little he knew the support he gave me to go on with my life. Tiger even pick Michele out for me, on first meeting he took to her. In his way he was telling me that I could trust her. I may seem silly to mourn a Orange cat like this, I mourn more for the soul he had.

I think we are more evolved than animals but reading this, still did strike a cord. So I responded back to the list after reading it.

When you see a National Geographic picture of a cheetah downing a zebra, do you think about good and evil, or just survival?

We can argue about tactics, but if we abandon faith in our ability to shape our own reality then I'm afraid we cease to be truly human.

Suppose this is our true nature - to survive at any cost? And those who are the most devious or treacherous have the best chances for survival?

Are we too idealistic and subjective in our criticism of other cultures?

I heard a military person the other day asking where the protesters have been the last twelve years while Saddam was murdering thousands to millions (figures vary, but they are a lot) of his own people and neighbors, yet are suddenly appalled when we fight back and do something about it. Probably for the same reason GW Bush is appalled by four soldiers getting killed by a suicide bomber as we send in a quarter million troops; nobody plays fair, and morals are all relative (and go out the window real fast when you're looking down the barrel of a gun).

The fault, Horatio, lies not in the stars, but in ourselves.

Violence is the wrong way to solve our problems - but it seems to work, and bombs are just a more efficient means to do what flipping off a motorist or blocking traffic with a bicycle does.

Something to ponder. BTW - The "No-Ender" list was an email started in the mid-90's made up of software workers mostly in the North End of San Fransicso. It has been a staple for me along with the Goodtimes list, WWWAC list, Craig's list and the Web405 list.

I would rather see a person strongly voice their convictions than a wish-washy person willing to be complicit in the sellout of their own values. And my conviction is: Regardless of my stance any subject, chew on this - If we can't agree on a common language, currency or religion what makes you think we are going to have world peace? Maybe a live and let live mentality? Isn't that just "Don't tell me what you think and I won't kick you ass?" We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the silence of good people.- Dr. Martin Luther King