Furry Feminism: The Hairy Topic

The “Art” of Publishing

2012-01-19T11:27:00.001-08:00

While most view publishing or journalism as a communications or writing industry, which takes a certain skill set. Now while this is true, it is also an industry that is combined with art. How? Graphic design.

Graphic design is needed in many areas of publishing. Graphic design is also one of the fastest growing careers in the country. It is a an artistic and creative career that is also rewarding. Many publishers or publishing houses or vendors need graphic artists to do their Production work, create boilerplates, and even design covers and custom covers. There are many possibilities available.

So how do you become a graphic designer? It is relatively simple. A four year degree is most common, but of course you can pursue a higher level of education as well. Your courses are mainly in technology. You should enjoy and be able to do the bulk of your work and projects on a computer. Interestingly enough, there is also some legal knowledge that is involved, such as copyright laws and how to avoid them in your designs.

Luckily, if you choose to become a graphic designer for a publisher, publishers typically have their own Rights/ Permissions and Licensing departments that will research images, existing designs, and other art for you or to make sure that there is no infringement on any cover designs or products. However, knowledge of these situations is pertinent for all potential graphic artists entering any industry.

Getting your foot in the door for any magazine, publisher, or marketing firm is easy...especially with the huge growth in media today. Most companies or firms require a six-month to a year long internship, in order for you to learn the industry, company, and test your skills. Once you gain this experience, you can write your own ticket. It is also smart to create a portfolio to show off to any potential job or internship opportunities, so they see where your strengths lie.

Another important strength a well-rounded and good graphic designer must possess is the ability to use their artistic strengths in order to reach a company or firm’s target audience in appropriate and unique ways. While this may require some background or experience in marketing, there is a lot of room for creativity.

Despite popular belief, there is a lot of potential for art in the publishing industry. There is a lot of room for creativity and unique ideas to design books, magazine covers, page layouts, as well as other artistic ways to reach the target audience.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - Kenda, polar bear loved by kids, was connection to the wild

2011-06-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - Kenda, polar bear loved by kids, was connection to the wild

Friends vs. Coworkers

2011-03-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Let's start simple. What IS a friend? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a friend is described and classified as "1a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b: acquaintance, 2a : one that is not hostile b: one that is of the same nation, party, or group, 3: one that favors or promotes something (as a charity), 4: a favored companion." If you ask me, this is rather vague. For instance "one attached to another by affection or esteem" is MUCH different than an "acquaintance". Also, is a "friend" from a particular nation, party, or group mean a group of people who are "acquaintances" that are joined together for a specific reason, organization, or interest? Therefore, can coworkers truly be classified as "friends"?

Some say 'yes', others say 'no'. It is true that a great deal of friendships have blossomed from the workplace. I know people who have been friends inside and outside of work, through life and job changes and what not, for over thirty years! I, myself even have previous coworkers that I still converse with. As mentioned above, the workplace is a group of people that do the same job and have the same interests/personality to perform a particular job. So, it's only natural that coworkers will comingle. I know there are those coworkers that everyone dreads working with. It's like the family member that you avoid seeing or that you just plain don't get along with. But overall, where we spend 7 to 8 hours per day, 5 days a week, 35-40 hours per week, until retirement, where we spend 80% of our lives, we are naturally going to find a coworker with the same interests and the same things in common.

On the flip side, those that say 'no' are at work for one reason and one reason only. Work. A paycheck. Supporting the families. Some people aren't interested in conversing with others for any other reason other than to get a job done. Totally understandable. But it's definitely much more enjoyable to have someone to talk to, to eat lunch with, or to vent to.

So that begs the question, are your friends friends? or just coworkers? It can be difficult to decide that sometimes. Some people are nervous to ask the other out for lunch or perhaps a weekend outing because it's difficult to know the other's intentions. Going out for happy hour is one thing, but visiting another in their personal home on the weekends is another. Sometimes it's difficult to know whether or not you've crossed that line or if that is something you are comfortable with. It's also a great risk to befriend a coworker and then put trust in him or her. You may think by venting to one of your coworkers it is okay, especially when your coworker is being friendly, supportive, you know, a FRIEND. The next thing you find out, that person is trashing you behind your back, complaining about you to a supervisor, and turning other coworkers against you. That is when you know it's time to cut the ties and that you really aren't "friends". I know what you are thinking...what is this, high school? Seriously. It's sad to say that some adults NEVER grow up. They have personal, childish issues that keep them from maintaining professional and plutonic relationships with others.

The line between friends and coworkers can also depend heavily upon the work environment. I've worked in environments where EVERYONE is friends. Yeah, of course, there's the drama...but people stuck together, were friendly, and sometimes even treated you like family. However, I've also worked in environments where you'd walk in in the morning and not ONE person would look up, or even say "good morning" to you and can't be bothered with mindless conversations that weren't 100% involved with work. Those environments are often cold, tense, and unenjoyable. A work enviornment also greatly depends on culture. Work environments that carry different ethnic cultures can directly affect the work environment, both positively and negatively. It also depends on the work environment's policies with exchanging personal information, interacting outside of work, or even exchanging personal emails with one another. However, it's safe to say that is varies with different industries.

All in all, it's difficult to determine what is more approrpriate: friends or coworkers. It depends on the person, the overall work cultural, environment, ethnicities, and the organization of a workplace. It's true that some work places and environments are more friendlier than others. I find that the younger the work environment, the more coworkers act like children -- in their professionalism, or lack thereof, their communication ability, and the way they mingle and interact with coworkers. So who's really to say? Most importantly, it depends on your own comfort level. You may be a social person, a people lover, or you may be more of an introvert, focused on your work only. Either way, tread lightly.

Bon Jovi Says Steve Jobs Is Killing The Music Business

2011-03-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

Being a diehard music fan myself, I find myself torn between this debate. As most of you know, Bon Jovi is my all time favorite band. Why?

1.) They write their own music...which is more than what I can say for the CRAP that's out there now. In the words of my husband, "it's all been done before". And it's true.
2.) They actually PLAY instruments and are good at them. No one FAKES their music or writes or performs it for them, and they do NOT lip sync. I've seen them live many times.
3.) They've been around for twenty plus years and STILL make GOOD music. No, they aren't in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame yet, but they'll get their day. Come on, Bruce Springsteen!
4.) They don't act like douchebags like a lot of the musicians out there today. Lady GaGa, Britney Spears, and Eminem, to name a few...They don't sing about stupid shit, steal others' music, beat their wives, or act like idiots just to get the attention of the press and the media.
4.) Listen to "Last Man Standing". It sums it all up.

Jon, your music IS on iTunes, and I'm sure you have a lot more avid listeners and fans because of it, but I can't disagree or argue with you for being an old-fashioned musician that worked his way to the top.

Bon Jovi Says Steve Jobs Is Killing The Music Business

What Happened to Social Revolts in America?

2011-03-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

What happened to the days of social revolt in America? What happened to protests, riots, strikes, and petitions? Native Americans fighting for rightful land, women fighting for the vote, African Americans and nonviolent protests towards social segregation during the Civil Rights movement, the protest against Vietnam. It's all there in history. So what happened? I have a hard time believing that we have run out of things to fight for.

There are plenty of things wrong with today's American society. Look at education. It's no secret that the American education system is failing. Our kids aren't graduating, can't read or write, and those that graduate and actually pursue higher education can't afford it and end up with billions in credit card and student loan debt. Way to set them up to fail. Look at the health care reform. Look at how the minorities live off the middle class taxes to provide them with food stamps and welfare so they don't have to work. Women STILL don't have equal pay or benefits in the work place. The insane price increase in gas, the increase in local state sales taxes, the increase in housing costs. Everything seems to go up except salaries, minimum wage, and jobs. Keep raising the taxes while our American citizens don't have jobs and don't have health care.

So this begs the question, why doesn't anyone fight anymore? Why doesn't anyone stand up and say 'no!'? Is it because we've all lost faith in our fellow Americans, our American government, and our freedom? I know I have. Or is it because we are too lazy? Are we too wrapped up in our busy lives, our busy jobs, and on our busy cell phones? Or maybe since the American government stopped caring about us, we stopped caring about us? I don't know. And I don't mean the war on terrorism. We all know what that's about. Oil. I understand Americans are pissed. The system is corrupt and America keeps making the same mistakes it has made for years. History always repeats itself, because we are too dumb to learn.

All it takes is one person to make a difference. We've all heard that before, and it's true. It takes one person to stand up above all and say that something is wrong. As a result, more and more people join and voice their opinions, ideas, and concerns. Then it becomes a fad, like this who "going green" thing. Kudos to the person who finally stood up and make a change in how we treat our environment. I think it's a little too late to save our environment, but whatever. Besides, in our days of high taxes, no jobs, a poor education system, and no money, what's there to save?

Marriage: Is Love Enough?

2011-03-06T05:57:00.000-08:00

Marriage is hard. Plain and simple. It's not the whole magical fantasy, happy-ending that Disney, movies, and TV displays. If we are talking about movies, movies will typically show a couple that wants to be together, shows one another they want to be together, then there is a conflict where one must show the other his or her undying love, and then the movie ends with them getting married and having this huge, beautiful wedding. The end. Not really.

What movies don't show is that after the couple is married how hard sometimes things become. There are problems, conflicts, and challenges that Disney and movies don't show you. Whether it's internal issues such as communication, affection, or spending time together, or it's external, work, kids, money, etc., it is common for married couples to struggle with them. I'm no marriage counselor, psychologist, or social worker in any stretch of imagination, but I am married.

It is also easy for a married couple to go to a party, either together or alone, or talk with individual coworkers, and judge another's marriage. This other couple may boast about the luxurious vacations they take, or the new, sporty car they always seem to buy, or how perfect their children are, or how passionate their marriage is. It is easy to get jealous of them, or look at your own marriage and think that there is something wrong. However, no matter how glorious things may seem in another's life, it is sometimes surprising to find that they may be truly unhappy in reality.

The truth is, sometimes love is not enough. There are a lot of factors that go into a marriage in addition to love. There's trust, companionship/partnership, devotion, passion, understanding, and compromise. If any of these things suffer from some kind of conflict, one of the partners can feel damaged, betrayed, or uncared for. It's sometimes difficult to find a balance in order to satisfy each partner's needs or wishes. And honestly, there is no manual for marriage and no marriage is perfect. There are a ton of tips, advice, websites, articles, books, and marriage counselors out there that can help you reach the root of your problem, but ultimately none of them can solve it. Both partners must be willing to solve it. There's that devotion and companionship part again.

It's easy for us to look at those marriages that seem perfect or have last over thirty years. We all wonder 'how did they do it?' It would be naive to say that they didn't go through their own trials and tribulations. Life is hardly without its problems. But the real success is their willing to work through it. Their willing to get to the root of every problem and solve it together. "It takes two to tango".

Then why do so many people get a divorce today? There are several reasons for this. Many people get a divorce because either a) they marry for the wrong reasons - money, security, pressure, etc. or b) it's possible that they just didn't marry the right person, or c) they just weren't willing to work through the problems. Since divorce is so common in our culture today, it's extremely easy to get a divorce. In addition, since so many people are divorced, it's no longer a social taboo. In short, it's easier to get a divorce than work through the problems. But is it really worth it? Is it worth it to spend time and money and effort to get a lawyer, go through the court process, child support, alimony, marital division of the assets? It can be a painful process for all involved. Obviously some situations are different. Those who are involved in a physical or verbal abusive relationship, or one partner is a victim of substance abuse, or is incarcerated, or is abusive to children. All this would fall under letter "b": "Marrying the right person".

With that being said, people change. If you've been married ten plus years, I highly doubt either couple is the same person when you married him or her. We grow, we mature, we change. That's just the way life is. We need to grow or change with them and love who they have grown into or become.

So in regards to marriage, is love enough? Is it worth divorce? Has the person changed? These are all questions a couple must answer for themselves and decide if their marriage is worth the fight.

The Myths: Publishing vs. The Recession

2011-03-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

I’m here to tell you that despite popular belief, publishing and printing are still very successful industries today. Yes, publishing was also one of the industries to be hit hard by our country's serious recession. I was actually a lonely Assistant Editor who worked for a vendor (development house) in little ‘ol Worcester, Massachusetts. At the beginning of 2008 when I started working there as an Editorial Assistant, there was approximately 75 in-house employees. During the next year and a half, more than half of the employees were laid off. In May 2009, I was included. On the day that I was laid off, there were only 20 employees remaining, and another handful were let go later that year. I’m pretty sure the company is still open. How, I don’t know. But I climbed the ladder to the top and now I work for the biggest publisher in the world. Life is pretty good up here (literally “up here” on the seventh floor The Newbury building in downtown Boston).

But enough about me. It IS true that with the release of the Kindle and the Nook, that publishing sales have decreased, but on the education side, media components and print are still in very high demand. Also from what I’ve seen, there is also a huge demand for blog and article writing. It’s all about SEO and SEM today, isn’t it? Blog and article writing is a huge thing. Everyone, including companies today have a Facebook page or Twitter account and a blog that they contribute to on a regular basis. Gee, I should jump on the bandwagon, huh? And since many companies today depend on websites for marketing, networking, and business, the blog is a must-have and it must be maintained. So, they hire writers for cheap to write 300-500 word blogs to keep their information fresh, their readers reading, and their Google results successful. Not a bad idea.

From my knowledge and personal experiences with language and publishing, the translation of documents, books and ebooks, etc. are still in high demand. It’s not even that the U.S. is packed to the high heavens with minorities and non-English speakers, but it’s the cross distribution of documents or information and data between countries as well. There’s the translation of government documents, letters, medical device instruction manuals, school textbooks and things of the like that require translation and localization before they can be marketed or distributed.

The world and the economy are constantly changing. There's no doubt about that. Especially with technology readily available and easily accessible. It’s difficult as merchants and consumers to keep up with the demand, but we tend to do it somehow. As far as the recession goes, it’s still very much among us. Less people may be collecting unemployment overall, but there are still not enough jobs to replace those that were lost. I know people that have been out of work for two and even three plus years! Unfortunately, we’ve still got a long road ahead of us, but we’re making do. It can’t be like this forever. And despite popular belief, publishing is still a very successful business. It’s not a dying industry, but rather a changing industry.

Is It Because I'm Black?

2011-03-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

It has been said that black cats are the least likely to get adopted in shelters or picked in litters. Why? Do we REALLY believe the stereotype that black cats bring bad luck? In our culture, black cats are typically associated with black magic, witchcraft, and common Halloween decorations. Because of this stereotype, people typically steer away from adopting black cats because they have the association that they are mean, sneaky, or are cursed. But beyond that, they are actually extremely stunning creatures. Their shiny, sleek fur and large, jade eyes are extremely attractive, yet they are picked over for the more bright, attractive colored coats.
With the economy the way it is today, there are more cats in shelters than ever before. While for most shelters the turnover rates are pretty good, at the end of the day, black cats are still left without loving homes. Unfortunately since most shelters today cannot keep up with the amount of cats being surrendered to shelters, many of the animals are euthanized. As a result, since black cats are the ones that remain in shelters day after day, sadly they are the ones euthanized the most. Just because they are black.

I volunteer at a local cat shelter in my area, and I can tell you first hand that this is true. My husband and I volunteer once a month and each time we go we say the same thing. In a month's time there are many cats that are adopted, which is an awesome thing, but the same ones are constantly left without homes: the black cats. Luckily, there are things that shelters can do to help promote homes for black cats. Some of these ideas include giving the animal a colorful collar or giving him or her an attractive name such as "Mocha" or "Blackberry". I try and give the black cats more attention than the others, just so visitors know that they are just as friendly and loving, and so they feel loved too. It may sound stupid, but any animal lover will tell you that animals have feelings and personalities just as humans.

My husband and I also own our very own black cat, "Nikki". Since Motley Crue is my husband's favorite band, "Nikki" is actually named after Motley Crue's bassist, Nikki Sixx. "Nikki" is the "pride" of our family, (no pun intended). He is extremely smart. He can figure out how to open cabinets, open doors, and drawers. He even found a way to get into our neighbor's adjoining basement (who, thankfully, is my grandmother) through the wall. He is really amazing. He cares for us, our child, and even his younger brother, "Toto". He greets you when you come home from work or get up in the morning, and even talks to you and tells you about his day. He is extremely loving and friendly and pays attention to all our visitors. He knows a number of tricks and loves to be played with. He also protects us by catching mice and horrible insects like spiders. He's a great friend and a great cat to know.

So, get over the black cat stereotype and adopt one of your own. There are different organizations out there even organized specifically dedicated to help black cats get adopted. Human beings have spent centuries and centuries discriminating and prejudicing against another's color, culture, or religion, and it is still quite visible today. Let's not discriminate animals. They are put on this earth just as we are and deserve a chance.

Education in America - Joke

2011-03-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

Today's public school education sucks. Period. Our kids today are doomed. The things that kids crave and enjoy most (recess, gym, the arts) are all being cut. And today's American parents and society wonder why child obesity is an issue. Wake the hell up. Kids need exercise. Hell, we ALL need exercise. But we live and are consumed by this selfish society with our complex lives and technological gadgets which keep us from staying healthy. It's our own damn fault. Stop blaming McDonald's, stop blaming school cafeteria food, and stop blaming it on video games. Bad food has been around for centuries. It's NOT the food, it's our lifestyle. Get the kids off the damn couch, out of the classroom, and get them outside. Problem solved.

Before you criticize me and ask me what do I know about education and parenting, I am a stepmother of an eight year old, and have assisted in raising her with my husband since she was three years old. For several years in my life, I wanted to be a teacher. I purchased books, took the teacher's test, and even got halfway through a Master's in education. Why didn't I finish? Two reasons. 1.) I was laid off and couldn't afford to finish school, 2.) I realized what bullshit the American education system is in public schools. I took several education related courses. The final one I took was a course dedicated to reading. I can't remember the exact course title. It was about child intelligence and teaching them how to read. It was interesting, yet maddening at the same time. I began to notice a pattern. A pattern in which I was completely against. All education was about was putting a label on a child. When a child could read, he or she was put into a category. If a child had difficult reading, another category, and so on. I understand that it is to better the child's understanding and reading development, but so what if maybe they learn slower than the other students? Why is EVERYTHING so assessment based? They are KIDS.

This blog goes out to my eight year-old stepdaughter. We just got a report from her teacher earlier this week. She is doing exceptionally well in art. She's excelling more than all the other kids and she was even chosen to HELP other children with their art assignments. The teacher couldn't say enough about her creativity and imagination. Then came the downside. The teacher claimed that she had spent a ton of time drawing, cutting out, and taping all the characters from the movie "How to Train Your Dragon". Although the teacher commended her on her efforts, she immediately expressed her concerns on how she spends a lot of time dreaming and believing that dragons and fantasies are real. My husband's reponse to that was, "So? She's EIGHT!" What eight year-old DOESN'T believe in dragons and fantasies? Is she supposed to choose a religion and write a philosophical paper on religion and life before age ten??? Cut the shit. My husband continued to sternly address that with all the bad shit in the world, let kids have their fantasies. The world sucks. Don't ruin their innocence. Let them be KIDS for chrissake. Not to mention, maybe her creativity and wild imagination the reason WHY she excels in art. Come on, you mean to tell me these educational professionals can't figure that out??? And I know there are more kids out there that are the same way as my stepdaughter. But no, God forbid they have a mind of their own or think outside the box. We might as well be Nazi Germany with the way we brainwash our kids. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

All in all, education in America sucks. The MLB and NFL make millions upon millions of dollars each year to throw and catch a fucking BALL yet our schools are piss poor. They are packing thirty plus kids to a classroom, (which is a complete fire hazard but whatever, turn the other cheek, right?) cutting foreign language, music and the arts, physical education, and recess. All the things kids enjoy. Kids are our future, people. They are going to be running this world and taking care of us one day, so we better take care of them now. Let's not brainwash them into level-headed adults before fourth grade. Let kids be kids. Let them be dreamers. Let them run around and have fun. Let them eat what they want, (within reason, of course). Let them enjoy life, because as adults, they are going to realize how much it sucks. And it's going to suck even worse for them when they are older. And the reason why it's going to suck worse is because of us and what we are doing to them now.

Women CEOs

2011-02-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

Since March is women's history month in the United States, I thought it would be appripo to talk about women entrepreneurs and where they are today. In the last thirty years, women have really stepped up to the plate in regards to working, running, and owning businesses. More and more women entrepreneurs are hitting the scene and assuming a place in history. Since women entered the workforce, they have overcome challenges such as sexual harassment, poor benefits, unequal pay, and unfair employers. In fact, they’ve even stepped over men into the number one spot.

At the beginning of 2009, there were thirteen women CEOs who ran some of the largest U.S.-based companies. Although it seems like a small number, two years later, this number is already outdated. More and more women are gaining ground in corporate America and making their way to the top. According to an article published on InfoPlease, “[Women] Their accomplishments represent significant milestones - not just for women in business - but for women all over the world making career choices.”

More and more women today are pursuing college degrees, and even advanced degrees at the Master’s and Doctoral levels. In fact, more work places are dominantly run and developed by women. In addition, more women are seen in jobs that are stereotypically classified as male roles such as law enforcement, construction, scientists, and doctors. Keep in mind that this country gets closer and closer to putting the first woman president into office. We came extremely close within the last three years with Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton, although I think most of us can agree that we'd all be doomed if Sarah Palin was running this country, but the point is that there are more women serving as politicians and becoming closer and closer to taking the chair in the Oval Office.

As much as this country has its downfalls, and it seems like it is still predominantly run by men, women are gaining ground. Plan and simple. There are many countries out there that unfortunately still view women as a second-class citizen, a minority, and even slaves. We are lucky to live in a country that, whether they want to or not, allow women to become CEOs of companies, become business owners and entrepreneurs, let alone get out of the house and work.

So even though just a short, thirty years ago in the 1980s when women were only seen as teachers, nurses, or secretaries in the work force, it is clear that things have dramatically changed. Women still have a long way to go before evening out with the number of male CEOs, but change and the potential for change is there. And the more young women that look at the top and see potential, the more are going to get there. You go, girls.

Fuck the MBTA

2011-02-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

You know who I really hate? The MBTA. They are the worst company in the world. For those of you who don't know (and who are lucky...) the MBTA is the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. The MBTA is owned by Massport who are the biggest fuck ups ever. They owe some ungodly amount like $XXX,XXX. Most of this is from the Big Dig. Enough said, right? Anyways, there are idiots in charge all the way down the ladder.

Recently, there has been a lot of complaints from the Massachusetts commuters who rely on the MBTA everyday to get to work or school. This includes those who live in the city and depend on buses or the subway, and those who live in the suburbs (or the "burbs", like I like to call them) who commute into the city via the commuter rail. Most of the complaints began last month when Mother Nature dropped 38+ inches of snow on Massachusetts in January 2011 alone. Trains were significantly late, cancelled, or just didn't plain show up and left people standing out in subzero weather in three feet of snow. Commuters can set up for email and/or text message notifications when the bus, train, subway, etc. is delayed or cancelled, etc. This is all well and good, when they actually send them. Sometimes notifications aren't sent until the mode of transportation has already been fifteen plus minutes late. They are useless.

The MBTA also offers a "On-Time Guarantee" program. Basically this means that if your desired mode of transportation is delayed thirty plus minutes, your ride is free. If you are one of the commuters who purchases a monthly pass, then you fill out the online customer service form and they will send you a renewable, one-way ticket which you can either use or cash in at a local MBTA sales office. The amount of money that the MBTA lost in January alone is outrageous, but so wasn't the service.

At a recent MBTA customer service meeting held last night (February 23rd, at 7:00pm) at North Station, Boston, the MBTA General Manager stood in front of hundreds explaining what the on-time service guarantee has costed the company. They are talking about doing away with the program so the MBTA can put forth the savings towards their accrued debt. Needless to say, this announcement has turned already frustrated commuter passengers to downright pissed.

So, for example, a Zone 8 commuter rail ticket is priced at $250 per month. (Zone 8 being the stop furthest from the city at the beginning/end of the rail line). And $250 per month for a piece of shit service is absolutely absurd. Now pay $250 per month WITHOUT your refund whenever the service is over thirty minutes late and you're pretty much being raped. What about the people who work hourly and lose two hours worth of pay when they don't arrive to work on time? What about the people who have strictly scheduled meetings for first thing in the morning with a sister company or client overseas with a time difference? What about the poor bastard who has a friggin flight to catch? Who reimburses THOSE people? Not to mention, they are bitching about the on-time service guarantee and coming up with that money to pay us back, which is in the commuter Bill of Rights, by the way. Like it's OUR fault, right? Here's an idea, why don't you try, I don't know, showing up on time?

The whole thing is bullshit. I hope this whole MassPort company goes out of business. I really do. From what I'm hearing, and I'm not sure if this is true, that CSX a freight line company that runs freight between Worcester to Boston and along the East Coast is looking to purchasing some passenger trains and compete with the MBTA. I think a lot of pissed off commuters are definitely going to give them a try. Either way, the MBTA really needs to get their asses in gear and figure something out or they WILL go out of business.

Just another day in paradise in good 'ol Massachusetts. Fuck the MBTA...

Bilingual Felines

2010-07-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, I sat warm in my bed, with my slightly older, black companion, Nikki, on my lap, warm and happy as can be. I pet him and spoke to him, and he purred quietly with heavy eyes. After a silly, bilingual battle between my myself and my fianceé, I looked at Nikki's innocent face and he looked at me as I spoke Spanish. I looked into his jade eyes and spoke clear, sentences in Spanish to him. He looked at me blankly, but with interest, as if he were trying to figure out what I was trying to say. "Your voice is familiar, but the words aren't."

His slightly younger brother, Toto, sat warm in his basket (which they take turns fighting over) next to my bed. I turned to him and spoke to him in Spanish. He gave me the same look. "I have no idea what you are saying, but I know your voice, and your tone is friendly, so I'll try to listen."

At that moment, my fianceé reappeared in the bedroom. It was now his turn to look at me blankly. "Are you REALLY speaking Spanish to the cats?" It was then that I made the decision to teach my cats Spanish.

I woke up this morning with the thought in the back of mind.: CAN they learn another language? All my educational implications pointed to "YES". I KNOW they have the ability to learn English. With the tone of my voice to help, they have the ability to learn words like "food", "mouse", "are you hungry?" "yes" and "no". Well, we THINK they know the word "no". The goods news is "NO" is the same in English and Spanish...so there's no way they can pretend to not know what I'm saying, no matter which language I choose to speak.

In reading the article below, it says that cats even have a language of their own. They have a certain language in which they speak to one another, feline to feline, and they also have a language in which they to speak to us as humans. If they have the ability to differentiate HOW to talk to one another, versus speaking to us, then they certainly can differentiate two different languages spoken to them.

"Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. It is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch.

Vocal communication involves caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of this language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans.

The only meowing in the cat world is done between mom cat and her young kittens. A kitten's tiny "mew" is a cute, endearing sound, used to solicit attention and care from mom cat.

So why do cats have two "languages?" Because meowing is unnecessary in a cat's world. But in your world, your pet cat is dependent on you, and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, and you are not completely fluent in cat body language.

The disarming "meow" however gets you to do what she wants and so that develops into a second language. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. We have to admit it works.

Cats have dozens of meow sounds that vary in pitch, length and volume. Most cat owners learn the language easily. A short, high-pitched meow is a standard "Hello!" Several of those strung together mean "You're home! Yea!!!"

Cats use pleasant meow sounds to solicit requests for food, to go outside or to simply get attention. Your cat learns which meow is going to get the results he wants. You may find that the meows that tug at your heartstrings the most are the ones your cat is using for pleas such as, "pet me."

Cats use unpleasant, harsher, louder meows for demands, reprimands or to express annoyance. These meows have a lower pitch and are not all that cute. Cats know not to use ugly meows to seek a favor–because you're unlikely to comply with such rudeness.

Meow-ese seems to be generally understood by "cat people." Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, Ph.D., who did his thesis on humans' ability to understand meows, found that people who own cats were far better at understanding the meaning of meows than people that don't. Dr. Nicastro recorded hundreds of meows cats used in real settings with their owners. He had people listen to the meows, then asked what they thought the cats were conveying.

Part of the experiment asked general interpretations (Does the cat sound angry or pleasant?) and part were more specific translations (Is this cat asking for food or does he want you to go away?).

Not surprising, the more experience the people had with cats, the better they were at understanding meows – those who had no cat experience scored very low. People who owned cats could correctly translate 40% of the meows. That's pretty remarkable considering the respondents did not have the benefit of seeing the cat. Normally, when a cat meows, we get more clues to its meaning from the context in which the cat is speaking (by the door, near a dirty litter box, time of day, etc.) and from body language.

It's kind of nice to think your kitty has gone to the effort to learn a second language to communicate with you. Sure, she did it mostly out of necessity, but also out of affection. She wouldn't meow just for your attention if she didn't enjoy a relationship with you.

The Meaning Behind the Meows

Your cat uses the basic meow in several variations in many situations. Even though there is a distinct "demand meow" for example, your cat may have separate variations for each of his regular demands. If you watch what your cat is doing when he meows, and listen carefully, you may learn to distinguish the demand meows, and eventually know the difference between his "let me out" demand and his "give me food" demand by sound alone.

Short meow or mew: Standard greeting. "Hello!
Multiple meows or mews: Excited greeting. "Great to see you!"

Mid-pitch meow: Plea for something. "I'd like to eat."

Drawn-out mrrroooow: Demand for something. "Open the door NOW."

Low pitch MRRRooooowww: Complaint of a wrong you have done. "Hey – my bowl is still empty!"

High-pitch RRRROWW!: Anger or pain. "That's my TAIL you just stepped on!"

"Do cats understand English? Yes, they can learn some words over time. "NO" seems to be understood in my house but then it's usually said somewhat loudly and as I said before, cats do relate to nuance. I would assume they can learn the meaning of some words in languages other than English as well."

http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/What-My-Cats-Have-to-Say.289699

Despite popular belief, cats are intelligent creatures. Their intelligence doesn't stop at learning multiple languages, they also possess the intelligence to figure out how to open boxes, doors, latches, and use their paws to figure door knobs.

Much like dogs, clearly they can pick up your mood, or when they did something wrong, by the tone of your voice. But, UN-like dogs, they can react to it. They know that if they did something wrong and you are pissed, they will leave you alone. Dogs will immediately feel sorry, and bow their head with their tail between their legs.

I don't really know too much about their brain capacities, or how they differ from humans, other than size and the ability to reason, or think critically. But, as mammals, our brains MUST be similar. In a human brain, we have the "Broca's area", which is where we store knowledge and use language. I have yet to discover how a cat attains language knowledge. But I DO believe they can do it and performing simple research proves they really can.

In the meantime, I plan to enrich my kitty brains with as much Spanish I can...then the REAL experiment begins...

Hardcore Feminism

2010-07-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

"What's the worst thing you can call a woman? Don't hold back, now. You are probably thinking of words like slut, whore, bitch, cunt (I told you not to hold back!), skank. Okay, now, what are the worst things you can call a guy? Fag, girl, bitch, pussy. I've even heard the term 'mangina'. Notice anything? The worst thing you can call a girl is a girl. The worst thing you can call a guy is a girl. Being a woman is the ultimate insult. Now tell me that's not royally fucked up. Most young women know that something is off. Do you think it's fair that a guy makes more money doing the same job as you? Does it piss you off and scare you when you find out about your friends getting raped? Do you ever feel like shit about your body? Do you ever feel like something is wrong because you don't fit into this bizarre ideal of what girls are supposed to be like? Well, my friend, I hate to break it to you, but you are a hardcore feminist. We're all brought up to feel like something is wrong with us. We're too fat. We're dumb. We're too smart. We're not ladylike enough - stop cursing, chewing with your mouth open, speaking your mind. We're too slutty. We aren't slutty enough. Fuck that. There are plenty of folks who believe that Feminism has achieved its goal. The 1998 Time magazine article 'Is Feminism Dead?' said, 'If the women's movement were still useful, it would have something to say; it's dead because it has won.' There's no doubt that women have made progress, but just because we get to vote and have the 'right' to work doesn't mean things are peachy keen. Anyone who can say that women have 'won', that all is well and good now, should ask why the president of Harvard can say that maybe women are naturally worse at math and then have people actually take him seriously. Or why a teacher can still get fired for being pregnant and unmarried. Seriously, are things really cool the way they are when so many of us are upchucking our meals and getting raped and beat up and being paid less money than men? And being denied birth control, and being told not to have sex but be sexy and a hundred other things that make us feel shitty? It can be better. It has to be. If feminism is dead, then why do people have to keep on trying to kill it? Feminism is the media's favorite punching bag. Don't forget - there are a lot of people benefitting from your feeling like shit about yourself. Think about it: If you don't feel fat, you won't be buying firming lotions and diet pills. If you don't feel stupid, you might speak out against all the screwy laws that adversely affect women. It pays - literally- to keep women half there. And god forbid you get involved with anything that would make you wonder why in the world women are having surgery to make their vaginas 'prettier'. The solution? Don't fall for it. If feminism isn't for you, fine. But find that our for yourself. I'm betting that you are more likely to be into something that encourages you to recognize that you're already pretty badass than something that insists that you're a fat, dumb chick."

Excerpt from Full Frontal Feminism, by Jessica Valenti

Furry Feminism: The Hairy Topic - Introduction

2010-07-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. No matter if you are a man or a woman, feminism is a "hairy" topic. Men avoid it because they are intimidated by women (it's true, ladies) and women avoid it because it comes with a bad name. Feminists are stereotyped as ugly, whiny, and lesbians. Personally, I have pushed these stereotypes aside and do not consider myself any of these. I prefer to call myself a bitch. There. I said it. I'm a bitch. I remember a time when I was SO offended when stupid teenage boys from high school would call me a bitch. Finally, I stopped getting angry and just replying with "That's right, I am." This has nothing to do with self-respect. Because I have some. Actually I'd like to believe that I have more self-respect than most woman. Which is shame. I am a young, successful woman with an attitude. I don't let people bring me down and I don't bring others down.

My inspiration for writing this blog is to challenge the minds of women to look...and I mean REALLY look...at their worlds, societies, and communities. It doesn't take a genius to look around and realize that something just isn't right with our society.

It's not all bad. My blogs won't all be about feminism. I like to talk about things and other interests of mine such as animals, family life and work life, and other "accepted" topics. It won't be ALL bitching. I promise.

A lot of what I choose to write or "blog" about may be offensive to some. I will probably swear or curse. Actually I KNOW I will. Sorry. If you don't like it, don't read it. There's my disclaimer. The beauty of blogging is about speaking your mind.

Enjoy...or don't.