८ नोव्हेंबर, २०२४

"Cozy, whimsical novels — often featuring magical cats — that have long been popular in Japan and Korea are taking off globally."

I'm reading "In Tumultuous Times, Readers Turn to 'Healing Fiction'... Fans say they offer comfort during a chaotic time" (NYT).
[Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s series, “Before the Coffee Gets Cold,”] — set in a magical cafe in Tokyo where customers can travel back in time while their coffee cools — centers on ordinary people struggling with loss and regret who wish they could change the past....

Recent releases of cozy Japanese novels include Mai Mochizuki’s “The Full Moon Coffee Shop,” set in a magical coffee shop run by talking cats.... [There's also] “The Travelling Cat Chronicles,”.... “The Goodbye Cat,” and... “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat,” [and] “We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat”....

Cats are such a staple in healing fiction that Kawaguchi’s publishers in the United States and Britain added a fluffy brown cat to the covers of “Before the Coffee Gets Cold,” even though, in a break from tradition, cats are not central to his novels....

No mention of Trump (or Vance) in this article, published yesterday, but it's featured at the top of the home page like this... 


... so it's pretty obvious that the NYT is offering this Japanese fantasy material as self-care for its readers suffering from the Democratic Party's blistering defeat. The election that's come to such a bad ending for them featured cats — Trump said "They're eating the cats" and Vance had said "childless cat ladies." So maybe cat offers some charming help for the suffering Trump haters, some balance for that awful squirrel that controlled the American election from the afterlife (as depicted charmingly in a cool fantasy novel to be counted among my unwritten books).

And, yes, I see the headlines on the left-hand side of the page. They're really important, but I'm not blogging in order of importance.

ADDED: I love the framing of Donald Trump inside the coils of barbed wire. It's all that's left of the dream of imprisoning him.

५६ टिप्पण्या:

Dixcus म्हणाले...

On a related note, Georgetown University in Washington, DC has created Safe Spaces for the Democrat "adults" who go to college there. These spaces feature coloring books, Legos, cookies and chocolate milk. These items aren't for the children of the adults who go to college there.

They are for the adults. Keep in mind, these adults are 18-22 years old, depending on when they began college at Georgetown. If we go to war with Russia, these are the people the Free World will be relying on as soldiers.

And I know what you're thinking ... there goes Dixcus again being a dick. So I'm gonna link you to their Safe Space schedule of events.

https://www.campusreform.org/article/georgetown-gives-students-milk-cookies-help-cope-election-/26731

You don't hate these people enough.

Shouting Thomas म्हणाले...

I predict that Trump will win almost everybody over in a couple of years.

Dixcus म्हणाले...

I predict that Democrats will murder him before he even has a chance to get sworn in on January 20.

Enigma म्हणाले...

Dream of imprisoning Trump in barbed wire? The establishment players now fear the declassification of federal documents dating back to the 2010 election. After Obama lost control of Congress "bigly," all sorts of creepy Deep State stuff began. This included IRS spying on conservatives, the EPA "discovering" that they owned every waterway, and Crossfire Hurricane was authorized by someone when they all thought Trump was a joke.

If Trump has a lick of sense he'll reveal everything possible dating from the JFK assassination forward, pull the security clearances of hundreds to thousands of Praetorian creeps, ban all "colluding" hostile media outlets from press briefings, and turn the left's game of "Do as I command or no federal tax money for you" on its head.

planetgeo म्हणाले...

I had a magical tour of Japan this year, guided by my son, who lives there and is married to a wonderful Japanese women. So I can attest to the soothing balm of much of Japanese culture, whether literature or macha (powdered green tea, ceremoniously prepared) or just about anything.

But I wanted to mention one interesting thing in particular that caught my attention as a tea drinker. They have a growing number of highly individualistic gourmet coffee shops. Unlike our propensity for Starbucksy conformity and sugary options, these are one-of-a-kind places, tucked away rooms in a row of shops, and run by what can only be called a "coffee monk". There are stacks of bags of coffees from exotic places, and typically some ancient grinding and brewing contraptions that the proprietor meticulously runs just for you and the particular type and taste of coffee you request (thanks to my son who speaks Japanese). It felt like my first religious coffee ceremony.

Dixcus म्हणाले...

Trump promised to jail Hillary Clinton for her felony crimes (destruction of evidence, for starters) if elected.

He didn't do it. What happened next? His entire first term featured him being whipsawed back and forth by the Deep State and he accomplished nothing. They came very, very close to getting him inside a prison cell so they could Epstein him.

Donald Trump is a nice guy. Unfortunately. He will need some leg breakers.

Dixcus म्हणाले...

Oh, I forgot about the part where they almost managed to kill him in Butler, PA. Let a Deep State plant (amazing how the media is uninterested in Thomas Crooks today) get off 8 shots, kill one attendee and wounded two others and shot Trump in the head.

Donald Trump is going to need some leg breakers.

Temujin म्हणाले...

Apparently JD Vance was onto something.

rehajm म्हणाले...

There are so many propaganda media outlets that deserve abandonment but I'll put those that use chaotic/tumultuous/dark times in news stories at the top of the list...

Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) म्हणाले...

Hey ... CATS already own the internet. Maybe they domesticated *us*.

typingtalker म्हणाले...

Message to grieving Kamala supporters: "You lost. Go hug your cat."

Message to cheering Trump supporters: "Just four years to find, prep and promote his replacement. Start Today!"

Maybe that Vance guy ...

wendybar म्हणाले...

They should put their pussy hats back on, cry more, and leave us the hell alone. We don't care about their hurt little feelings. Boo hoo. Let them cry.

Kevin म्हणाले...

I’m confused as to whether it’s the cafe or the cats that are magical. Do the cats retain magical powers outside the cafe, or are they simply residents of a place that is itself magical?

Shouting Thomas म्हणाले...

Nothing captures the wild, almost psychotic hysteria of liberals like the craze over abortion in NE states. Most of these states have absolutely no restrictions on abortion. None. A woman can abort a full term baby. Yet, my FB timeline is full up with liberal women from this area screaming and crying that abortion is restricted in some way. This shit is nuts.

gilbar म्हणाले...

have we heard from Inga, yet?

Leland म्हणाले...

Coddling of the NYT mind.

narciso म्हणाले...

Its more like the Cats movie who was it made for

Enigma म्हणाले...

The previously-deranged-or-cowed people broke down before the election. This means Jeff Bezos' come to Jesus moment, Mark Zuckerberg stepped away from election interference, the labor unions actually voted for their own interests, and the LA Times did not endorse Kamala. Many liars will paint on happy smiles with hopes to avoid being crushed just as they did with Biden in 2020. I fully remember the sycophantic kowtowing of Bank of America, Chase Bank, Facebook, Marriott hotels, etc.

Democrats always hate current Republican politicians, but they often remember prior ones fondly. So now, Trump is both a current and prior President, so you may indeed be correct. He may well be more popular in 2028.

Plus, Trump's arrest mugshot and fist-in-the-air photo after being shot will be remembered and discussed for the next 2,000 years. Democrats and communists love iconography and make huge photos and statues of their leaders.

gilbar म्हणाले...

but WAIT! it gets better!
many (MOST?) of these loud psychos are post menopausal LESBIANS
If you don't have sex with men.. and you don't menstruate.. What's the deal with abortion mania?

Dixcus म्हणाले...

She has fled the country (or is busy packing). And she should. Because we're coming.

BOO!

MadisonMan म्हणाले...

Full Moon Coffee Shop is on my bedside table. Highly recommended. But I read it before The Election.

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

We've gone from pussy hats to pussycats in eight years, which is progress in a pro-peace and pro- life sense.

Wince म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Wince म्हणाले...

Althouse said...
So maybe cat offers some charming help for the suffering Trump haters

Nope, sorry. According to exit polling, Trump flipped the cat vote as well, for obvious reasons.

Former Illinois resident म्हणाले...

Childhood now continues till at least age 30, at least for those with college-educated progressive-liberal parents. I'm not aware of any college-grad in their 20s who is fully financially independent of their parents. Most "adult-kids" either live in parents' home, or their rent is paid by parents, regardless whether they are gainfully employed, regardless whether their wages would pay for a low-rent apartment. These kids have expensive tastes, therapist bills, spend lots of money on entertainment and travel - but not grown-ups per se.

Narayanan म्हणाले...

novels featuring siamese cats koko and yumyum by lilian jackson brown

rhhardin म्हणाले...

Richard Epstein (The LIbtertarian, Hoover) says Trump saved the election by showing a sense of humor in the last two weeks and who knew that Trump had a sense of humor.

The sense of humor was the whole thing from the beginning.

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

"It's all that's left of the dream of imprisoning him."

They kept telling each other to "stop normalizing Trump", and in the end it was their idea of not normalizing Trump, that kept bringing him back and making him even more relatable.

Jersey Fled म्हणाले...

I miss Inga. I’m serious.

Mr. Majestyk म्हणाले...

I like that no matter where he is on the campaign trail, he wears a dark suit and tie. (Except when he's riding in a garbage truck, of course. But even then he kept his tie on.)

Hassayamper म्हणाले...

I predict that Democrats will murder him before he even has a chance to get sworn in on January 20.

I think he’s safe now. J.D. Vance has proven himself to be a formidable opponent. Trump is a smart guy but Vance has 20 IQ points on him, zero baggage or scandal, superb communication skills, and seems to have the same bold and gleeful thirst to upset the apple-cart and bring historic change to the nation and the world.

Imagine him coming into office after a Trump assassination with both houses of Congress on his side and a friendly Supreme Court. He’d be in a more powerful position than any President since FDR. The Deep State scum wouldn’t know what hit them.

I hope Trump keeps him close at his side during any major decision or crisis. He has really impressed me.

Jamie म्हणाले...

I'm not aware of any college-grad in their 20s who is fully financially independent of their parents.

I have 1 1/2, soon to be two once my middle kid graduates next month. Her job is lined up and she'll be independent of us immediately. The older one was also independent immediately upon graduation. The youngest still has two years to go but he's just barely shy of a 4.0 in MechEng so I'm thinking he'll be ok too.

The oldest is very anti-Trump, but he's not a fool, just idealistic (he supported Bernie); the middle one plays her cards close to the vest but is in a committed relationship with an HVAC guy who was a high school friend; the youngest is likewise cagey but, again, engineering - and wants to be in aerospace. All eschewed the soft studies and employed strong work and study habits.

I could easily have been one of the wailing women if I were that age today. I have grown in reason and rationality since my college years and, as I've grown, have moved steadily rightward. But at that age... yeah, I would've been useless.

I married well, in short.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

They're not eating the childless cat ladies...so we got that goin' for us.

Balfegor म्हणाले...

I just checked and I don't think Akagawa Jirou's Calico Cat Holmes series has been translated into English. It was what I thought of when I saw cats, novels, and Japanese. I guess the cat in question doesn't talk, though -- she just helps solve mysteries by pointing the detective characters towards the key clues. It's not fantasy, but is a bit whimsical, despite being a series of mystery novels about murders. They're pleasant, light fluff. I recommend them if they ever come out in English.

Peachy म्हणाले...

The left wanted us to care about their lies. They demanded we all fall in line. Russia Russia /Mueller BS - Spread by Maddow, Hillary and Adam Schitt.
The Vindman BS. Impeached over a phone call. Total Media black out on Biden family corruption.
and on and on. The butt hurt NYT - another joke. The corporate whore Soros media is dead.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

Cat eating is done in a magical setting where ordinary people struggling with anxiety and desire hope they can change the future.

Caroline म्हणाले...

The whole self care thing— as ballast, remind folks that trump, shot at twice, still goes out I to crowds and o stage several times a day. The guy is one courageous dude.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

Is this prominently featured self-care recommendation in the NYT an admission?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

"trump, shot at twice, still goes out I to crowds and o stage several times a day"

He always carries a small cat.

Curious George म्हणाले...

Two attempts, but the second attempt had no shots fired.

Paul Zrimsek म्हणाले...

Didn't Trump ruin the whole cat thing for them when he made the Prosperity Cat gesture as the Secret Service was hustling him offstage?

gilbar म्हणाले...

Jersey Fled said..
I miss Inga

it was always good, to be able to read the Democrat Party Line (word for word).
Plus it was cute to hear her talking about how insightful mark was :)

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

"the second attempt had no shots fired"

That little cat worked.

RCOCEAN II म्हणाले...

So, Trump's election was Peanuts revenge. LOL

RCOCEAN II म्हणाले...

I love Japanese pictures on the twitter/internet showing cats at work.

Lazarus म्हणाले...

"I Am a Cat" is supposed to be one of the modern classics of Japanese literature. Now that it's out in a manga, I might actually read it -- or at least see the anime version.

Lazarus म्हणाले...

"He always carries a small cat."

That sounds more like Soros or Schwab.

RCOCEAN II म्हणाले...

Remember after 2016, the NYT's highlighted some guy in Ohio that had cut himself off from any news or human contact? He just lived in his house in the country and went every AM to have coffee and breakfast. No TV. No Internet. No newspapers IRC, he had moved there from Silicon Valley. Withdrawn from a bizzaro world dominated by Trump. Wonder what happened to him.

tcrosse म्हणाले...

They let you grab them by the pussy.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

"That sounds more like Soros or Schwab."

Those guys are afraid of pocket cats because they're manufactured by Tesla. According to my sources, they're putting their faith in freeze-dried goat penises these days. And in micro-dosing Ukrainian orphan blood.

Eva Marie म्हणाले...

Caroline commented:
“The whole self care thing— as ballast, remind folks that trump, shot at twice, still goes out I to crowds and o stage several times a day. The guy is one courageous dude.”
That’s a brilliant observation. Thank you

Steve म्हणाले...

Newspaper photo editors are the most ideologically driven folks in media.

Hassayamper म्हणाले...

My son is 29 and has been self-supporting since college graduation. He's well into 6 figures now.

mccullough म्हणाले...

Pussy Lit

MikeD म्हणाले...

Tho' I'm in my 80's and most of my reading (hardback only) is SciFi with some "adventure" and non-fiction, as it catches my fancy, I admit to reading, and enjoying, most of the Japanese "cat books" our hostess mentioned. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a great series and the Traveling Cat was a great story (made into a Japanese film).

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

Yes. My wife and I enjoyed "The Cat Who..." series. Fluffy nonsense but perfect for the bedside table. Nothing that will keep you up too late or disturb your dreams.