daf bit: Moed Katan 10

Sometimes the permissibility of an action depends on the intent rather than the action itself. In discussing chol hamoed, the intermediate days of festivals, the g'mara says: On clearing sticks from one's field, if he does it to gather firewood it's permitted but if he does it to clear the field it's forbidden. How can we tell? If he picks up only the larger sticks he's gathering firewood; if he picks up everything he's clearing the field. And on opening channels so that water flows into one's field, if he does it to get the fish it's permitted but if he does it to water his field it's forbidden. How can we tell? If he makes upper and lower openings (that is, inflow and outflow -- I guess on a slope?) then he is doing it for the fish; if he makes only one opening (so the water can't flow out) then he's doing it for the water. And on trimming one's palm trees (to remove the young shoots and foliage), if he does it for his animals it's permitted but if he does it for the palms it's forbidden. How do we know? If he trims one side only it's for his animals; if he trims both sides it's for the palm. (10b)

I don't understand this last part -- do the animals eat the trimmings or what?

Also, I have not encountered this method of fishing before. Nets are customary, as I understand it. This sounds like pretty specialized circumstances.

easy cat-sitting

I took care of friends' cats while they were at Gencon. One of the cats is diabetic, so he requires twice-daily insulin. They warned me that I might need to fetch him from under furniture but they hoped he wouldn't be too uncooperative.

No worries. Every visit went something like this: "Oh! A person! Happy day! Purr purr purr! Oh, please pet me and let me rub on you and I will purr some more! Oh, you're holding a sharp thing? Well, if that's the price so be it -- and let me purr some more!"

This was actually not the easiest cat I've cat-sat for; that would be Spud (now, sadly, departed), who was the mellowest cat I've ever medicated. He didn't even seem to notice, so long as he was eating at the time.