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Jack the cat chases black bear up tree

Sat Jun 10, 9:34 PM ET

A black bear picked the wrong yard for a jaunt, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree — twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange and white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, often chasing small animals, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.

“We used to joke, ‘Jack’s on duty,’ never knowing he’d go after a bear,” owner Donna Dickey told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday’s editions.

Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first spotted Jack’s accomplishment after her husband saw a bear climb a tree on the edge of their northern New Jersey property on Sunday. Giovanetti thought Jack was simply looking up at the bear, but soon realized the much larger animal was afraid of the hissing cat.

After about 15 minutes, the bear descended and tried to run away, but Jack chased it up another tree.

Dickey, who feared for her cat, then called Jack home and the bear scurried back to the woods.

“He doesn’t want anybody in his yard,” Dickey said.

Bear sightings are not unusual in West Milford, which experts consider one of the state’s most bear-populated areas.

While I agree with many of the things Don says, I would point out that the stock market is not the economy. You say that “15% S&P growth in 6 months” is good, and I agree. But the stock market reflects what some people _feel_ about the economy, not the economy itself. I feel that the arguments about tax revenues are much more compelling.

But by that same token, the price of gold is another indicator of how people feel about the economy. The housing market (with all of the arguments on both sides of the bubble) is still outpricing many people in my local area. The negative savings rate, and the flat yield curve are other indicators of how people feel about the economy.

Like you, I don’t say this to argue for or against the administration. On a personal level I now know that the economy is doing better (it is much easier to find work, with higher salaries, for example). But the current economic situation has enough weird stuff going on with it to cause me concern, mostly because I want the good times to continue.

In stead of worrying about selling shows for $2 to view on a crappy 2 inchscreen, the PTB should be offering shows that have been shown as FREE on demand downloads. That way they can track the ratings numbers. Why bite the hand that feeds you?