Fat Cats

Cal State trustees vote to hire two new presidents at $324,550 and $303,660, respectively, 10% more than their predecessors. Meanwhile, students face tuition hikes, shrinking services and canceled classes. What will become of these Cal State students? Cartoonist Ted Rall takes an educated guess. ALSO: Cal State's closed-door plan Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons Santa Monica College: Lost opportunity costs Photo: Ted Rall cartoon.

We are getting fat. And so are our cats and dogs  -- it's estimated that 60% of them are overweight or just plain obese. Bring on the pet obesity clinics! Tufts University has opened one of the first, in Grafton, Mass. They say it is the only in the nation to be staffed by a full-time, board certified veterinary nutritionist. What goes on at a pet obesity clinic? Weight Watchers meetings? Treadmill exercises? Classes about how to fill the segments of MyPetPlate? (I made that up, but a Google search revealed that there is, in fact, a MyBowl for cats and dogs that was developed by PetMD and Hill's pet food.)

We are getting fat. And so are our cats and dogs  -- it's estimated that 60% of them are overweight or just plain obese. Bring on the pet obesity clinics! Tufts University has opened one of the first, in Grafton, Mass. They say it is the only in the nation to be staffed by a full-time, board certified veterinary nutritionist. What goes on at a pet obesity clinic? Weight Watchers meetings? Treadmill exercises? Classes about how to fill the segments of MyPetPlate? (I made that up, but a Google search revealed that there is, in fact, a MyBowl for cats and dogs that was developed by PetMD and Hill's pet food.)

Always on the look-out for backup power sources for mobile electronic devices, we were smitten by the PowerBar from FatCat Gear. About the size of a cellphone, the battery pack can charge up most cellphones, music players and handheld gaming systems, a welcome aid when no outlet is at hand.  The pocket-sized charger uses a long-lasting lithium battery that can retain up to 80% of its charge after one year of non-use, making it good to have on...

There are fat cats, and then there is the totally over-the-top cat named Meow. The orange and white tabby was recently brought into the Santa Fe, N.M., animal shelter tipping the scales at 39 pounds. The  2-year-old feline is so fat he barely fit into his animal carrier, and he can't play for very long, because the extra weight makes him lose his breath easily. His feline weight roughly translates into a human weight of more than 600 pounds. Meow has already gotten caught in his share of cat house doors -- as if all of his nine lives are rolled into one rotund furry feline body.

Facebook, which next week begins its road show to pitch its initial public stock offering to investors, has put the presentation on the Web so anyone can see it. Word is that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and chief executive, will be on hand for the road show with institutional investors, and also makes an appearance on the roadshow video. RELATED: Facebook seeks up to $95-billion valuation Facebook selects Nasdaq over NYSE for IPO Facebook sets $28 to $35 IPO range, and you can likely ignore the $28          

Mike Dunleavy, former coach and general manager of the Clippers, is The Times' guest analyst on the NBA Finals. Dunleavy has coached four NBA teams — the Clippers, Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers. He was the NBA coach of the year in 1999 with Portland. The Lakers have a big size advantage over the Celtics, and it showed in Game 1. Pau Gasol had a great all-around game at both ends of the court, and I was also really impressed by Andrew Bynum.

It's about time someone took notice of UnitedHealth/PacifiCare's mishandling of claims ("Health plan faces fines of $1.33 billion," Jan. 29). As a result of the acquisition two years ago, executives pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars while the claims department underwent layoffs. I've come to the realization that our obesity epidemic began right here in the boardrooms of UnitedHealth/PacifiCare. The fat cats keep getting fatter, just like our premiums. UnitedHealth/PacifiCare should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Sergio Gonzalez Cypress UnitedHealth Chief Executive William McGuire made the unsubstantiated claim in 2005 that the acquisition of PacifiCare would benefit every participant in the system and result in greater efficiency and lower healthcare costs.

On a day when most of the protesters outside Madison Square Garden were street preachers condemning politicians for their wicked ways, Charles Keeting and M.A. Swedlund provided a different note. They were dressed as "fat cats," replete with pointed ears, pipe-cleaner whiskers and padded stomachs. They passed out phony money and condemned the federal election process as "legal bribery" that only serves those who make big campaign contributions. Make It One, Please New York Mayor David N.

IN THE MONEY: Four San Fernando Valley state lawmakers recently made the top 10, the California Common Cause top 10, that is--a dubious distinction in some quarters. The political watchdog group annually lists the state's 10 biggest political fat cats and the legislators who benefited most from their generous campaign contributions. During the most recent campaign season (1993-94), Common Cause reported that ex-senator David Roberti, Sen.

Meow, the fat cat whose 39-pound girth helped raise awareness about obesity in pets, has died of lung failure. The orange-and-white tabby was turned in to the Santa Fe, N.M., animal shelter last month and quickly made international headlines. At first, his story was played for laughs: The 2-year-old cat apparently favored hot dogs, and was so fat that he got stuck inside things. He barely fit into his animal carrier, and was likened to Puss in Boots from the "Shrek" movies. But Meow's weight underscored a growing problem: Pets in America are getting fatter -- just like their owners -- and all that extra weight can hasten death.

Facebook, which next week begins its road show to pitch its initial public stock offering to investors, has put the presentation on the Web so anyone can see it. Word is that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and chief executive, will be on hand for the road show with institutional investors, and also makes an appearance on the roadshow video. RELATED: Facebook seeks up to $95-billion valuation Facebook selects Nasdaq over NYSE for IPO Facebook sets $28 to $35 IPO range, and you can likely ignore the $28          

There are fat cats, and then there is the totally over-the-top cat named Meow. The orange and white tabby was recently brought into the Santa Fe, N.M., animal shelter tipping the scales at 39 pounds. The  2-year-old feline is so fat he barely fit into his animal carrier, and he can't play for very long, because the extra weight makes him lose his breath easily. His feline weight roughly translates into a human weight of more than 600 pounds. Meow has already gotten caught in his share of cat house doors -- as if all of his nine lives are rolled into one rotund furry feline body.

Are there commies in your classroom at the University of California? A study by a conservative group shouts: You betcha! How can you and your children protect themselves from academic Bolshevism? ALSO: Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons Cal State's fat cats profit while students suffer Raising taxes the best remedy for California's economy?

Cal State trustees vote to hire two new presidents at $324,550 and $303,660, respectively, 10% more than their predecessors. Meanwhile, students face tuition hikes, shrinking services and canceled classes. What will become of these Cal State students? Cartoonist Ted Rall takes an educated guess. ALSO: Cal State's closed-door plan Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons Santa Monica College: Lost opportunity costs Photo: Ted Rall cartoon.

What an interesting run we've seen the last couple of weeks — great games, magic endings, topped by word of a Dodgers sale. That whole NBA (No Brains Assn.) debacle aside, and starting with World Series Game 6, what we're seeing is the Gods of Sport being unusually benevolent toward a nation that needs something to cheer. Unprecedented? Maybe. Let's connect the dots: "Arch Madness" is how Sports Illustrated described the Cardinals' World Series win, but in 25 years what you'll remember most from baseball's sensational postseason is the streak of miracles that ended an epic Game 6. Four hours 33 minutes just didn't seem long enough.

Two leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination crisscrossed Southern California on Friday, revealing as much about their strategies by their audience as their words. Arkansas Gov.

At first glance, the new government of President Thabo Mbeki looks like a workers' paradise. Six Cabinet members belong to the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party. At least two others are Communist Party members. The premier of Gauteng, the country's richest and most powerful province, was until recently leader of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, a partner with the Communists and the African National Congress in the country's ruling alliance.