How Now, Pow Wow Chow?

by Mark Steyn
Clubland Q&A - Action Replay
October 16, 2018

https://www.steynonline.com/8918/how-now-pow-wow-chow

Audio Recording

If you missed our livestream Clubland Q&A, here's the action replay. Simply click above and settle back for an hour of my answers to questions from Mark Steyn Club members around the planet. On this week's show we discussed some of the larger geopolitical issues arising from the Saudis' unfortunate and entirely accidental dismembering of a visitor to their consulate, and also some of the identity-politics confusion arising from Elizabeth Warren's scientific verification that, as a woman who is 1,023 one-thousand-and-twenty-fourths white, she most certainly qualifies as Harvard Law School's first woman of color.

Thank you for all your thoughts on the various subjects raised. If I didn't answer your question, we'll be doing one of our video editions of Mark's Mailbox in a couple of days and I'll try to get to the missed queries then.

We departed from our main themes only for a closing tribute to my late cat TJ, who died this morning of cancer and who was a vital part, along with our pal and Tony nominee Marla Schaffel, of this video:

He was going under the stage name "Harold" in the above video because being seen working with a notorious right-winger like me could have damaged his prospects of getting a big-time Purina commercial. Rest in peace, TJ. I'm not sure I could have got through the crappiness of last year without you.

If you're not yet a Steyn Club member but you're minded to consider signing up, you can find out more info here - and don't forget, for any Steyn fans among your loved ones, there's always our special Gift Membership. We'll be announcing our second Mark Steyn cruise soon - and, as I mentioned on air, before that I'll be in Newton, Massachusetts (just outside Boston) at the end of this month, and then touring Pennsylvania and western New York with Dennis Miller.

More immediately, for members and non-members alike, tomorrow, Wednesday, I'll be back with the great John Oakley on Global News Radio 640 in Toronto live at 5pm Eastern.

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52 Reader Comments

Lynn Foster • Oct 21, 2018 at 08:46

Condolences Mark, on the sad loss of TJ...as a cat lover who has had to endure the inevitable, either in a vets office or in my front room (the vet, who also loved Fred the cat, actually came to my home to help Freddy shuffle off this mortal coil)...this is the sad unspoken part of the contract of pet ownership....a wise friend once opined that kittens or puppies, or dogs or cats really should come into our lives with a sticker on them, advising 'this will end badly'...again my thoughts are with you on these tough days ..hang in there...the good memories will eventually wash over the sadness...

MMF • Oct 18, 2018 at 21:43

I am sorry for your loss.

Peter Kerr • Oct 18, 2018 at 11:08

Sad news about TJ. The death of a pet animal always takes me back to Thomas Hardy's poem "Last words to adumb friend".

Wayne Lanham • Oct 18, 2018 at 10:25

From one cat person to another, you have my deepest sympathies. I like to say my spirit animal is a feral cat, and I take it upon myself to tend to the ferals with food and makeshift shelters when they happen by. I get entirely too attached to these little animals and always wish I could do more, but they are what they are. At any rate, it's obvious the back half of TJ's life was more than he could have asked for, and he has you to thank for it. Keep up the noble feline work.

David Coats • Oct 18, 2018 at 09:43

Oh the precious love of a dear pet. They reflect God's love more unconditionally than any human is able, though cats often have their own unwritten terms & conditions by which our relationship with them is bound. And they are not shy about letting us know when we've fallen short of those expectations. But for cat lovers those terms of endearment just make them all the more endearing. My condolences.

Ken • Oct 17, 2018 at 22:55

Bless TJ. I understand your grief. Losing my two 19yo cats was a cruel blow, maybe the cruelest of my life.

Lawrence Brennan • Oct 17, 2018 at 21:25

When I was a kid in Teaneck, New Jersey, in the early Fifties, we still wore poppies, made of a thin red plastic. I was in first grade at Washington Irving Elememtary School and we were all given them prior to Armistice Day, as it was still called. I remember wearing one pinned to my shirt. In third grade the day became Veterans' Day, but we still wore the poppies. But as time went on, they disappeared from view. I can't recall when I last saw them in general use, although my step-father, who had fought in the Great War, always wore one on November 11 until he died in 1985.
I told my cat, Miss Kitty, of TJ's passing. She just closed her eyes, and remained solemn for a minute. Cats know.

Marcus Everett • Oct 17, 2018 at 20:55

If having 'native American' DNA is a door to great perks, then Mestizos should be rolling in it. Since most illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America are Mestizos I'm wondering why they haven't cashed in on the 'native American' bandwagon.

Fran Lavery • Oct 17, 2018 at 19:44

About the pronunciation of Wilkes-Barre, the folks who grew up in and around a Philadelphia pronounced it like Wilkes Borough but pronouncing the second word closer to Berra or Barra. Or maybe that's just my West Philly influenced pronunciation. I'm sure someone from there will know much betta 'dan me.

Ellen Comeau • Oct 17, 2018 at 18:58

Cher Mark,

Mes sincères condoléances pour cette perte. C'est une triste nouvelle.

The song is a fitting tribute, and you gave TJ a loving home. That's all anyone can really do. Hopefully all the good memories will give you comfort in the coming days and weeks.

Warm wishes,

Ellen

Mark replies:

Merci pour vos condoléances, très chère Ellen - our favorite female francophone on the Mark Steyn Cruise, and in hopes you'll return to reclaim that title on the second one.

Ellen Comeau

Ellen Comeau • Oct 17, 2018 at 20:38

Cher Mark,

I feel a bit like Céline Dion when she refused her Félix trophy in 1990 at the ADISQ awards as anglophone artist of the year ("artiste de formation anglophone de l'année"): "J'peux pas accepter ce trophée-là..." (I can't accept this award). My first language is actually English, thanks to my Norwegian mother and Acadian father, who decided that it would be best to learn English at home first and then learn French at school. So, technically, I'm an anglophone, not a francophone - although most francophones are surprised when I tell them that my first language is English.

Going back to the 1990 ADISQ awards I mentioned at the beginning, the irony is that Jim Corcoran, an anglophone of Irish descent, won (and accepted!) the Félix for "auteur-compositeur de l'année" (author-composer of the year) for his album "Corcoran". He has a wonderful mastery of French (his song Je Me Tutoie comes to mind), all sung with an English accent.

Hope you're not too disappointed, and I certainly would like to attend the second one if I can (Norway, right? ;-)) I had a wonderful time on the first one, and it was such an honour to meet you in person.

Merci beaucoup et à la prochaine,

Ellen

George Pazin • Oct 17, 2018 at 16:42

Sorry for your loss, Mark. TJ looks like a cross between our alpha male cat, Ty (for Tiger, with regards to his striping) and Tootsie (she's our fat lazy cat).

As always, an excellent q&a; I can never seem to come up with questions in advance, or I'd try to join the fun.

Regarding the Khashoggi affair, my only real question is why would anyone believe the Turkish government?

Sue Sims • Oct 17, 2018 at 15:15

By coincidence, a friend of mine lost her cat this morning, and sent the news to a mailing list we're both members of. Another member sent this to the list, and it seemed the right thing to share it here:

Last Will and Testament of a Cat

When humans die, they make a will
To leave their homes, and all they
have to those they love.

I, too, would make a will, if I could write.
To some poor, wistful, lonely stray
I leave my happy home,
My dish, my cosy bed, my cushioned chair, my toy
The well-loved lap, the gently stroking hand,
The loving voice, the place I made in someone's heart,
The love, that at the last
could help me to a peaceful, painless end
held in loving arms.

When I come to die, Oh! Do not say:
"No more a pet I'll have to grieve me by its loss."
Seek out some lonely, unloved cat, and give my place to him.

This is my legacy
The love I leave behind
'Tis all I have to give.

Fran Lavery

Sue Sims • Oct 17, 2018 at 18:47

Very touching, Sue. I run into elderly women often standing in front of the plexi boxes which house kitties up for adoption at the various pet shops. We talk about which one we want to take home, and except for having too many canines, I would in a heart beat, and they will say "I just lost my cat of 18 years and i'm afraid I won't live half that long to be around to take care of it."

I want to say "oh sure you will," but you know they have a point. I do worry about leaving a cat or little dog, bird or bunny behind, as things can change in a heartbeat, yet I think most animal lovers would really like something to take care of and to have as companion until they die.

Lowell Walker • Oct 17, 2018 at 14:47

Very sorry to hear about TJ. I've always been a little indifferent to cats until I volunteered to keep one for a deployed soldier. Glad I did, my soldier came back unharmed, and now I get to keep the original cat and a rescued kitten. Both are a joy.

Robert Young • Oct 17, 2018 at 14:42

Mark, as a multi-species animal owner, I understand and sympathize with you about T.J. Very sorry!
It occurs to me that your instant attachment to T.J. a/k/a "Harold" while making "She Only Talks That Way to the Cat" bespeaks not only affection, but recognizing T.J. as your alter ego. For such a busy guy, let alone during the worst 2 1/2 years of your life, who wouldn't wish that his only thoughts needed to be about how long to lie on your back and where to do it? Not to mention, getting petted and purred over just for being you.
Robb

Simus1canada • Oct 17, 2018 at 14:17

Pets brighten our lives, then make us cry. The circle of life.
Beware of cultures and political movements that abuse animals and people as a matter of course.
They are trying to tell us something.

David Elstrom • Oct 17, 2018 at 13:30

Mark, sorry to hear about TJ. You gave him a very touching tribute.

Walt Trimmer • Oct 17, 2018 at 13:14

Mark,
Perhaps a suitable memorial for TJ would be an important precedent in the mannoer of Marbury v. Madison that would be cited in legal motions for time immemorial, say, Cary Katz v. Carry off TJ's Cat Tree. I'm sure other Club Members could improve on this.

John Shuba • Oct 17, 2018 at 12:58

My sympathies on the loss of your beloved cat. I was never much of a "cat guy" until about twenty years ago when I was talked into accepting a rescued cat from a friend who already had a menagerie. That redoubtable feline has passed but now I have three others that I work for. Can't imagine life without them.

King K • Oct 17, 2018 at 12:09

My mother's ancestors hail from southern Italy (around Naples). I'm as white as can be, but considering the polyglot of groups who've coursed through that area of the world throughout history, using the 1/1024 standard I'm sure I could claim to be Arab, Berber, Black, Jewish, Persian, Sephardic,... take your pick. I can only imagine the firestorm of ridicule coming at me if I tried to trade on such a claim, as Warren has. How do the leftists get away with stuff like this - or pretty much anything for that matter?

Michael Cavino • Oct 17, 2018 at 11:52

My condolences on the loss of your TJ. Your tribute to him at the end of the livestream was very touching.

Christina Comeault-Zarycki • Oct 17, 2018 at 11:39

Hi, new Club member here, but long time reader and lurker.

Mark, I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved TJ. What a striking fellow--certainly made for show business. My husband and I had to say good-bye to our Max last summer, due to stomach cancer, according to the vet. We still miss that big, handsome boy. Those creatures sure find a way into your heart.

BallBounces in PEI

Christina Comeault-Zarycki • Oct 17, 2018 at 17:57

Welcome to the Club!

Christina Comeault-Zarycki

BallBounces in PEI • Oct 19, 2018 at 17:39

Thank you!

Kate Smyth • Oct 17, 2018 at 11:33

Appreciated the very sombre and poignant reflection about Remembrance Day, as well as the palpable anger over Islamic intimidation with respect to free speech.

Bill Leak, in addition to being an exceptional cartoonist, was a great writer and speaker. Following the publication of the Je suis Mohammed cartoon alluded to by Mark, he described how he "woke up the next morning with a roaring fatwa." And in the script of the book launch speech on the eve of his death, he said that "... in October last year (2016) I realised there's another group of people who are just as capable of making life hell for me if they fail to be amused by my wit and artistry. So now there's a mob that won't only punish you if your cartoon offends them, they'll punish you if it's offended someone else. They may be a little less murderous than your Islamist terrorists, but they're no less unhinged and dangerous. They're also driven by the same authoritarian impulse to silence anyone who transgresses the unwritten laws of political correctness. I'm talking about the thought police at that rogue totalitarian outfit, the Australian Human Rights Commission. Well, bugger them, too."

Christopher Hitchens warned over a decade ago of the insidious, soft-jihad attack on free speech: "This is very urgent business, ladies and gentlemen, I beseech you. Resist it while you still can, and before the right to complain is taken away from you which will be the next thing. You will be told you can't complain, because you are Islamophobic, as if it was an accusation of race hatred or bigotry, when it is only the objection to the preachings of a very extreme and absolutist religion. Watch out for these symptoms... they are not just symptoms of surrender; very often offered to you by men of God in other robes— Christian, Jewish and smarmy ecumenicals; these are the ones who hold open the gates to the barbarians. It's your own preachers who will do it to you, and your own multicultural authorities. Resist it while- you- can." https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=32KRwzJsy1o

Hitchens and Leak— both prematurely departed— would have been ideal figures to join forces with Steyn on tour/ cruise: an intrepid free speech trio to be reckoned with!

PS. Sincere condolences regarding TJ, Mark.

George Pazin

Kate Smyth • Oct 17, 2018 at 16:49

Beautiful thoughts, Kate. Mark, Christopher and Bill would be a powerful triumvirate.

I don't know of anyone who sells poppies in these parts (western PA), but I will endeavor to find out.

Kate Smyth

George Pazin • Oct 17, 2018 at 18:20

George, if you can't find a lapel poppy, consider a "Rembrella" (sold for around $25, from memory, and quite robust): the single poppy design umbrella (so nearly entirely red), which has a breath-taking visual effect when seen in clusters at rainy Remembrance Day events (I attended a service where it rained a few years ago, where I first saw the umbrellas). Though it can obviously be used year-round too.

From the UK based "Great War" website which distributes them: "The Poppy Umbrella was the idea of retired Lieutenant-Colonel Graham Parker, O.B.E., WW1 historian and battlefield guide. Graham was inspired to create this unique umbrella as a vivid reminder of Remembrance all year round. ... That year (1995) the Armistice Day Service was commemorating the 80th anniversary of the battles of 1915 in the Ypres Salient. Arriving at the Menin Gate for the ceremony Graham's thoughts turned to May 1915 and a soldiers' cemetery close to Ypres called Essex Farm cemetery. This is believed to be the location where the powerful image of poppies growing among the soldiers' graves was portrayed in the poem "In Flanders Fields". The images of poppies on the old Flanders battlefield and the umbrellas lining the route on that wet Armistice Day in November 1995 were Graham's inspiration at that moment for The Poppy Umbrella. Graham's daughter, Joanna, created the design of the single red poppy on the umbrella cover."

The Tower of London poppy field (from 2014— nearly 900,000 poppies) was visually dramatic by the way (lots of images online).

Agree on the Towering Triumvirate— and there's an inextricable link between defending free speech and honouring Remembrance Day, the Sunday Poem on the cruise being a powerful reminder.

Wm. Picou • Oct 17, 2018 at 10:33

My condolences on the loss of TJ.

John Wilson • Oct 17, 2018 at 10:32

Mark, I'm so sorry for your loss of TJ. My wife also sends her sympathy. She wanted you to know that she loved "She only talks that way to the cat" and it was her favorite song on the album.

Patricia Gillis • Oct 17, 2018 at 09:47

I must say, your comments on your wonderful cat brought a tear to my eye. Not that you are looking for sympathy, but I have felt very badly for you during this ridiculous CRTV episode. I cancelled my subscription at that time and joined the Steyn Club (great decision on my part!) but I always wished I could think of another way to show my support. I am glad TJ was a comfort to you and my condolences on your loss...curious what TJ stood for....take care.

MrsProdos • Oct 17, 2018 at 09:45

I'm so sorry about the loss of TJ, Mark.

It was lovely of him to let you be in his video, which I thoroughly enjoyed. He looked so luxurious. He must have been a delight to cuddle.

Phoebe Spinrad • Oct 17, 2018 at 08:47

Mark, I'm so sorry for your loss of TJ. It's such an empty space without our beloved pets. I understand. I've nursed three consecutive cats through lingering illnesses and death -- and now my fourth (and final, I'm afraid) cat is growing old and has developed more and more health problems. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Mark replies:

Thank you, Phoebe. And best of luck to you and yours, too.

Wayne Carmichael • Oct 17, 2018 at 07:49

Mark, So sorry for your loss of TJ.

Mark replies:

Thank you, Wayne. Rough waking up to my first morning without the corpulent old fellow. But we stagger on, and, if I ever get around to Feline Groovy 2 (or Feline Groovier), we'll dedicate it to him.

Steven Payne • Oct 17, 2018 at 05:15

My condolences Mark, on the loss of a friend as well as my apology for my attempt at humor elsewhere on here concerning you and cats. Talk about bad timing.
Incidentally, John Derbyshire recently lost his dog, Toby. Seems the pets of my favorite commentators are not faring so well lately.

Mark replies:

Don't worry about the joke, Steven. Had TJ gotten together with Blofeld, the latter would have been the strokeable sidekick and TJ the global mastermind. As I said on the Q&A, he had a very alpha-male aggro attitude when needed.

Kathy Shaidle

Steven Payne • Oct 17, 2018 at 07:14

Just awful news. Our Pip is 13 going on 3 (months) :-) and I don't know how we'll handle the inevitable. Especially when a pet has brought you joy and love in hard times.

Susanna • Oct 17, 2018 at 02:45

Condolences on the loss of TJ. I know that heartache well. I surrendered a chunk of my life and a small fortune trying to save my three-year-old Golden Retriever from the throes of bone cancer. Amputation, chemo, scads of therapies and vitamins and supplements... A six-month journey worth every penny and tear.

I'm glad TJ carried you through the tough times. RIP sweet kitty cat.

Andrew Jones • Oct 17, 2018 at 02:10

Daft question which I hope comes across cogently.

Ultimately, what is going to be the outcome of this identity-politics malarkey?. Surely even the practitioners of it realise just how bonkers it all is?

I can see how it has become a power and control mechanism though and to date has been a very useful one but aren't they rather over-egging the pudding at this stage of developments?.

Wm. Picou

Andrew Jones • Oct 17, 2018 at 10:39

Not to worry.

The new Caliphate will render it all moot.

Paula • Oct 17, 2018 at 00:21

I'm so very sorry to hear about TJ, Mark: I've been a cat person all my life and I know just how hard it is to lose a beloved cat. I'll be thinking of you!

P. Gao • Oct 16, 2018 at 23:00

Aw. Sorry to hear that. At least glad we all got a chance to enjoy TJ's career, thanks this cool cat music video. It's just so nice to have some good-natured fun. We don't get enough of that these days.

Fran Lavery • Oct 16, 2018 at 23:00

Finally, I can see why she only talks that way to the cat! That is one humdinger of a feline! Sorry for the passing of TJ, Mark. What eyes! What fur! What magnitude!

I have only one consoling thing to say to myself when my animals pass before me. They probably wouldn't be able to take care of me the way I would like if their lives extended past mine. I have 17 more to mourn passing and a proper burial will be in the cards for each one. I just hope it doesn't come down to the chihuahua as the last one standing, or the little conure for that matter. I already told my husband, he needs to take good care of his health because he'll be ninety-two before that bird passes, and he's only just 67!

James Wursthorn • Oct 16, 2018 at 22:49

It is,in fact, pronounced Wilks, as in Lincoln's assassin, and berry. Thus, wilks-berry PA.
My heart is heavy with your loss.

Erin Metters • Oct 16, 2018 at 22:36

I'm so sorry about TJ. We lost a kitty in January. He was the one who loved my husband best. It was hard. We still have Pumpkin; who is a good mouser by-the-way. Cats and dogs do find a way into your heart somehow. I think it's the unconditional love from dogs and the 'feed me and I'll purr for you' from cats.

Sol • Oct 16, 2018 at 22:31

Could they have a more SNL-ready photo than this one?

Tracy Mescha • Oct 16, 2018 at 22:09

Hope the Steyn/Miller Tour comes to Phoenix! I'd gladly (well, the checkbook wouldn't rejoice) part with a grand for the privilege The February weather is much better here than in Wilkes Barre :)

So, I did the Ancestry test and I was - as expected - 95% Eastern European. The remaining 5% was listed as statistically insignificant as 3% Northern Russia and 2% Micronesia. Yes, I'm more Micronesian than ol' Lizzie is Native American and while I guess one of my ancestors just had a real good time on vacation, I am just a plain ol' white gal.

Fran Lavery

Tracy Mescha • Oct 17, 2018 at 00:30

I second that, Tracy! About Phoenix, I mean, not parting with a grand.

My husband's first cousin who is, or thought to have been, half Irish and half Italian did her Ancestry test and it turned out she had next to no Irish genes and only a minuscule amount of Italian. I'm not putting much stock in any of the results. Everyone knew her maternal grandparents (identical to my husbands paternal grandparents) had names of great Italian tomatoes and another like an Italian wine and were from the Bari region, Castalaneta, to be precise. Needless to say, she was quite depressed with the results as she had a lot of Italian pride.

It's apparently not a reliable test of what someone's bloodline is and it doesn't really matter anyway.

Elizabeth Lorenz • Oct 16, 2018 at 22:02

Mark, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat!! That's so heartbreaking! I have a cat, Kitty Bits. She was the answer to a prayer for help with the mice in my house. She's turned out to be the best mouse hunting cat I've ever known. She and I have a spiritual connection. (I would have thought anyone saying such a thing was nuts years ago). She was tiny when I got her I named her Kitty Bits, Miss Bits to nodding acquaintances. . The mice terrified her. They were almost as big as she was, but she grew, and she hated them. She got big enough to hunt them and became the scourge of mice hither and yon. She changed her name to, "Kitty Bits the wild hunting cat." He motto is, "Sharp teeth, sharp claws, powerful jaws."
She disappeared for two weeks about a month ago. She had been loosing weight. I prayed and prayed for her return. She did return, so sick I thought she would die. I brought her to the veterinarian and spent a small fortune (for me) to get her checked out and on some antibiotics. At 10 years old she isn't the wild hunter she was in her youth, but still one of the best friends I've ever had.
Sending much love to you at the loss of your cat. God bless his soul.

Jesse Cole • Oct 16, 2018 at 21:17

Fauxcahontas torched her Teepee and toased her Tomahawk with this stunt, especially when she doubled down and tried to out-Trump Trump with her lunatic Twitter tirade. Is it just me, or does she increasingly resemble Jeb! ?

She just wrote herself out of her presidential campaign.

Sorry about TJ.

Sol Cranfill • Oct 16, 2018 at 21:12

One of the things that shows that Warren's candidacy is doomed is her timing. She released these ridiculous results in between Harvard students agitatin' for Injuns on Columbus Day, last Monday, and the start of a massively consequential court case about Harvard's racism against Asians students.

Kathy Shaidle

Sol Cranfill • Oct 17, 2018 at 07:12

Once again, Sol's comment is the cherry on the sundae! So glad I FINALLY connected with you on the last night of the cruise--but we didn't have enough time to talk. Maybe next time?

Sol Cranfill

Kathy Shaidle • Oct 17, 2018 at 10:32

It was great to meet and talk to you too, Kathy. You were a hit in the panel discussion. Look forward to talking turkey on the next cruise to, possibly, Turkey!