WEATHERING the WEATHER REPORTERS

Okay, I hereby confess...I've been teased about it plenty but in bearing my soul, I'll fess up to the truth of the matter...I am indeed a weather geek, a sky gazer who is easily excited at the sight of a cloud. But then I live in the desert, a mostly sunny desert and it's more likely to rain dirt than let loose with the wet stuff. My fellow sisters of the hood and I do love to gaze out the windows and watch for any sort of weather activity and thank goodness for the birds because rain is a rare occurrence. But on to my real point, perhaps my latest beef, or if you will, a somewhat bitchy blog.

I'm talking about the very people I watch on the weather channel...and, yes I do frequently watch the weather channel as well as the weather on our local channels. Most times it's just aggravating because nothing but sunny skies is ever predicted here...oh, that and those awful excessive heat warnings we have going on currently. Yeah, remember it is summertime...duh! What do we expect? Summer usually means hot here, but don't get me wrong...I'll take boring sunny stuff over the disasters I see on TV any day.

Since I have cat acquaintances in various places around the USA I like to keep tabs on what's going on weather-wise for them too. So naturally when something like Irene develops I'm on full alert. Irene is really what sent me over the edge. It was a nasty storm, a horrible hurricane that caused destruction along it's path that will take months to clean up after. While it's bad enough Mother Nature provides these awful occurrences it's just way over the top to have to watch certain individuals literally making asses out of themselves in order to broadcast it. Seriously, it's almost too much and I really think it's high time I just get this off my hairy little chest before my dew point blows. Now let's see a show of paws from anyone else who's become as annoyed as I have regarding the overdone dramatics of our dear weather reporters. Frankly, I find it to be very embarrassing...as in I am embarrassed just watching them.

When the wind is blowing a zillion miles an hour sideways, your clothes are about to blow off of you, it's raining...pardon the expression...cats and dogs with lightning flashes in every direction, what kind of idiot feels the need to stand out in it to prove to the world it is indeed storming? I could name names here...yeah, again I confess...I know them all, but I'll refrain. Let's face it cats, humans sometimes leave me in a state of wonder. As in I wonder what they're thinking sometimes....or are they?!

There's water rushing past you in the street, the sidewalk behind you is practically dry yet you insist on donning your little rain boots to stand in the middle of a knee-high puddle to tell us it truly rained. There you stand, totally soaked to the core, trying to stay upright with a death grip on the microphone, as you holler over the sound of this massive storm, just to show that without a doubt it is raining. There's a freaking blizzard going on, snowing so hard we barely see the icicles hanging off your nose, your lips are chattering, yet there you stand, frozen in place to let us know it's snowing. Is there some sort of Meteorologist Heroics Award show coming up? Do you win a weather Oscar, maybe a Golden Weather Vane or perhaps earn a star on Hollywood Blvd? Just what is wrong with you people?

Do you think that the viewers are too stupid to not recognize these weather conditions through a window where you would be dry and safe? Do you think we're weather illiterates or what? Better yet, do you have any idea how truly ridiculous you look? Especially when you hear the authorities warning everyone to get the hell outa Dodge before the storm arrives...yet there you stand practically sideways looking more like a weather clown than a professional meteorologist. Trust me...we get it. Makes me wonder if any of them ever watch a replay of what they do. Bets on who flies into oblivion first? I gotta go now...I can feel my humidity is up and pretty sure my barometric pressure is out of control.
Sister VC...

HICKORY DICKORY BLOG

Have you ever repeated a word over and over until you decide it's the silliest or dumbest sounding word you ever heard? Almost any word will do. Well, of course not words like cat, kitty, here kitty, meow, mew, purr, sweet, cute, furry, etc.

Anyway, before we travel down that road I need to vent just a little about a couple of things that are rather disturbing to the feline order. In a nutshell, modern technology has really cramped our style. How it saddens me to realize that gone are the days of the nice relaxing, oh so warm naps atop the nice big 24 inch monitor where you sit at your computer and peck away. What happened to my nappy place? Where I keep you company and provide an abundance of inspiration for you to share with the readers...why...why...why? What's with this itty bitty flat screen piece of metal anyway? Can you not see the problem here? How the hell am I supposed to climb up on this new fan dangled thing you gawk at now? Trust me, I've tried, I've failed. It's not funny, McGee. You've really managed to harsh-en my mellow. Oh, and that's not to mention what's happened in the bedroom. I mean seriously, just what is going on? Have I done something to offend you so bad that you double up my pain and suffering? Is it the occasional hairball I blow...I do try to keep that discreet you know. I just fail to understand how I could have upset you so much that you just toss my 32 inch TV aside and bring in that flat pancake thing that you can hang on the wall. You're just lucky I can still nap on the cable box...or is that next? Well, that's it, I've said it. It's out in the open now and I've had my say. But I swear...you touch that cable box and I will wreak havoc on what clean spots of carpet you have left. That's a promise. Now to continue with my original thought before some other mistake you've made comes to my attention.

So, anyway...words...some are just too bizarre to even explain, some just look funny, some sound funny, some you're almost embarrassed to say out loud. Today I'm just going to go off on one word in particular because in my opinion...and believe me my opinion counts...this has got to be at the top of the list as far as a dumb looking, stupid sounding, ridiculous arrangement for 4 letters of the alphabet that I have ever heard. You're probably thinking I'm going for 'tweet' or 'Google' but I'll save those for another time. No, today's winner is none other than B-L-O-G. So blog this one people. How the blog did they come up with a word like this? How the blog do these words happen? Was someone out of their blogging mind? Who gets credit for inventing this blog word anyway? Makes you blogging wonder doesn't it?

It is in the dictionary because when I began this blogging jazz back in February 2010 I looked it up. It's described as an online journal. Online...another crazy word, but let's blog on.

So with such a silly word I'd thought I'd just toss it around a few times for let's say...something to blog about, okay? Imagine if you will...
Old MacDonald had a blog, E-I-E-I-O. A blog-blog here and a blog-blog there, here a blog, there a blog, everywhere a blog. E-I-E-I-Blog.

Try this one....This little bloggy went to market, this little bloggy went unread, this little bloggy says it's time I was fed. And this little bloggy cried blog, blog, blog all the way home.

This is blogging good fun....
Row, row, row your blog gently down the internet...merrily, merrily, merrily, a blog you won't soon forget.

Hang on, I have more...
Blog light, blog bright. first blog I read tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, blog again tomorrow night.

And for the holidays...
Searching thru the net...with a full HD display
O'er the web we go...blogging all the way.
Oh, jingle blog, jingle blog, jingle all the way.

And for my finale...
Hush little blog...don't type a word...rewriting this would be absurd.
Go to sleep now, give it a rest..this must have been a blogging test.

Say Good Blog Sister Very Catty

BET YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW...

August 13th was National Left-Hander's Day! I know...it's a date that's not well known or like a real holiday or anything. Nobody will buy you flowers or even send a card because of it, but it ought to be important to those of us who are left handed or left pawed. From what I've read lately there's only between 10 and 15 % of the population that are left handed (pawed). Yep, that's all, no more. I am a left pawed cat myself, although quite ambidextrous. I have to be since those of us that are of the feline persuasion don't usually come equipped with thumbs. So we get by using both paws equally.

Personally, I've always been proud of being left pawed and right-minded. In a way it made me seem a little different somehow. Growing up and attending school I was usually the only one using the other paw to write. I remember in second grade we were learning to write cursive and my paw was positioned quite different from everyone else's...almost like it was upside down, very awkward looking I'm sure. I didn't have a problem with it, in fact it felt quite normal to me. But it seems it caused others to be upset by it which in turn caused me great embarrassment. We had a special visitor one day from another school and while we were practicing this new way of writing she strolled up and down each aisle scrutinizing our work with her beady little eyes. It was so new to all of us and I felt I was doing pretty good. Of course, I had my challenges being a lefty, such as the darn desk was all wrong. How was I supposed to rest my arm while writing when the silly desk top is on the wrong side? Then top that off with trying to hold my pencil with my arm stretched way over and my paw turned around towards me? I'm sure it looked awkward as hell but it worked for me. So I'm tootling along, minding my p's & q's when all of a sudden my pencil gets yanked out of my paw and I'm told that because I'm using my left paw I will never have a nice handwriting and that I will need to hold the pencil halfway up or no one will ever be able to read my writing....oh, and don't leave out the part about turn your paw around properly. Totally screwed me up! I was so humiliated as everyone turned around to see who was getting scolded. Wouldn't I love to run in to that individual (insert battleaxe here) again...why I'd give her a....okay, moving right along...

Anyway, I thought I'd at least honor the day by sharing some interesting facts taken from the internet regarding being left handed. One interesting thing being that the number of left handed people in the world is growing and that left handed people in history, as a group, have produced an above average quota of high achievers. Of the last seven presidents, four were left handed. The Mensa group believes that about 20% of them are left handed. In a left handed person the right side of the brain is more developed and because of this the left side of the body tends to be dominant. More men are left handed than women. You'll find that many of the world's funniest comediennes are left handed as are many, many artists.

Unfortunately being a lefty can cause you to feel like an outsider sometimes, especially as a child. Just think what you've probably had to face at some point, like using scissors, for instance. They are made for right handed people. Of course, they do make them now for left handed people but you'll have to find a place that carries them. It's not like you can run to the corner store and pick up a pair. And the memories of those horrible school desks...how cruel was that? So many things that right handed people never give a thought to. People shake hands with the right hand...I could go on but why bother...we know it's a right handed world out there.

So I say we deserve our day...August 13th...and to all you lefties, southpaws and whatever else you've been called...I salute you...with my left paw, of course.
Blessings,
Sister Very Catty

HAVE I MENTIONED?

Did you realize that we're about halfway through another Mercury Retrograde? Maybe I shouldn't even mention it. I know some cats who might be better off not knowing about it ahead of time, but then the next thing you know, I'll hear about some bizarre mix-up that's happened to them...which results in my once again having to explain about the retrograde. Consequently, I am always torn...shall I warn them or shall I keep quiet and wait for it. Half the time I hear 'why didn't you tell me' and the other half I hear 'don't tell me, I'm better off not knowing'. So to tell or not to tell...that is the question. I mean, after all, knowledge is power, right? But then on the other paw, maybe being in the dark you won't know the difference. You'll just wonder why this or that goes awry. You mailed your water bill but forgot to put a stamp on the envelope. You called someone and can't remember what it was you intended to tell them. You looked both ways and no one was coming, then you step off the curb and get honked at from a car that seemed to come out of nowhere. Any of this sound familiar? You're exiting...or trying to...a parking lot, in comes an idiot on his cell phone and almost clips your car taking up the entire driveway and never even looking in your direction. Or how about unloading groceries in the back of your car and you turn around to see your basket rolling down the asphalt. Don't even ask why that bird pooped on your head instead of the person standing right next to you. Common everyday occurrences but far more likely to happen during the retrograde. Any and all forms of communication can get screwed up during this three week period which happens about three times a year.

Let's talk about it. You've made it to the halfway mark so think back from now to the 2nd of August. Remember anything odd that happened? Forget what you were doing the other day? Misplace anything? Sign the wrong dotted line, forget to cross the T's somewhere?

Now if you aren't necessarily an astrology fan or think we're talking hocus pocus here, just Google the words 'Mercury Retrograde' and read all about it. Just to be perfectly clear on my part I did just that. Far be it from me to mislead my followers! Here's a brief description taken from an article I read on the Web and written in my own words in hopes you'll understand it.

You see all of the planets move in the SAME DIRECTION around the Sun at different rates of speed. Mercury's orbit is 88 days long so approximately 4 orbits of Mercury around the Sun equals one Earth year. Are you with me so far? So periodically, Mercury appears to slow down, then stop and then move slowly backwards for several weeks. Eventually it appears to stop again and reverse direction moving slowly forward once again. Finally Mercury appears to return to its normal orbital speed. Now this occurs because Mercury actually travels faster than the Earth and so periodically it catches up with the Earth and passes right on by. When Mercury "goes retrograde" it does NOT actually slow down, it does NOT stop, it does NOT move backwards. It only appears so.

Now was that so hard to grasp? Hang on...I have more. In Mythology, Mercury is the messenger of the gods. In Astrology, the planet Mercury is said to have associated with or rule all forms of communication. Like I suggested...Google this and read a lot more about it. There are actually lists of things one might try and avoid during a retrograde...just to be on the safe side. Like it's been said...you don't let the planets rule your life by any means, but you can use what caution is available and be aware. Mercury retrograde occurs three times a year and lasts about 3 weeks each time. This current one will end on August 26th so just be careful in everything you do, everywhere you go, etc. And mark your calender for the final one for 2011. Starts on November 23rd and goes direct on December 13th. Consider yourselves told. Amen.

A 'PAY IT FORWARD' STORY

It is of my opinion that newscasters, all of them from television to radio to the writers of the printed material, love to broadcast the most negative stories they can dig up. We all know life can be tough, we all know that shit happens and that bad stuff happens to good people. We get it already! There are also plenty of good things happening in life but for some reason it's usually only the bad stuff that gets blasted all over the waves. You watch them on television, the females all gussied up looking camera-perfect, the guys in their suits and ties, just bursting at the seams, each with a gleam in their eyes that says they just can't wait to depress you with their news. Makes you wonder if they actually go driving around looking for these so-called "newsworthy" events. Where do they come up with all of it, much less why do they think we need to know about every little thing. In this catvent here we try never to watch or listen to the majority of it. I really don't know what it is....the news itself or the presentation that bothers me more.

On the other side of the fence, however, once in a while we hear of something positive happening in the world. A story that is much more worthy of passing along other than the usual hullabaloo we normally hear about. I learned about just such a story from one of my readers and it is the kind of story we'd all like to hear more of so I am going to Pass it Forward on my blog.

This story was actually featured on CNN and you can probably go to CNN.com to read about it online.

It starts with a gentleman named Jeff Parness, a native New Yorker and a survivor of the September 11th attacks. Jeff was actually in the lobby of one of the Twin Towers when the attack occurred. His business partner was up on another floor and did not survive. As the article sent to me stated, Jeff's son actually came up with the idea to help other cities who have suffered a disaster. One thing led to another and soon they began a foundation called "New York Says Thank You". Since 2004 the foundation has had more than 7,000 volunteers participate in the group's projects.

This story came to me because one of my readers is currently volunteering two months of her summer to help the people of Greensburg, Kansas. Remember they suffered through that devastating tornado that took their entire community down to nothing but the front porch steps in 2007. She gives guided tours explaining their rebuilding process and their goal of building back stronger and greener. She happens to work with a gentleman who just returned from a trip to Ellijay, Georgia. Ellijay was hit with a tornado in April and he was volunteering his services to help reconstruct a barn for a lady by the name of Susan Littlejohn.

You see...this story just keeps getting better. Susan Littlejohn is an angel in my book because she has dedicated her life to providing a place for rescued animals in Ellijay. She cared for these abandoned animals from horses, llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep, lambs, ducks, pigs, doves, etc. on less than a shoestring of a budget. She was down to her last $3.00 and had been praying that something would come through for her when the town was hit with the tornado. The animals Susan rescued were sheltered in her barn which the tornado completely destroyed. Miraculously Susan, her two volunteers and all the animals survived the storm.

This is where the New York Says Thank You Foundation pays it forward. Through this foundation many selfless volunteers will rebuild an even better structure to house these abandoned critters. Now Susan will be able to help more animals and more people. Susan also uses these animals as therapeutic companions for disabled children and senior citizens. She also allows juvenile offenders to be sent to her by the court system in three counties so that she can teach them skills in caring for the animals as a way to perform community service and build personal character. Susan is indeed a special lady and her intent is to not only follow her calling, as she was quoted to say, but to also inspire other kids, families and adults to VOLUNTEER.

No doubt Susan pays it forward. I'm so glad my reader passed this story along to me and that she was fortunate enough to work alongside the gentleman who was able to help Susan in Georgia and learn about Mr. Parness and his wonderful foundation. The world could definitely use more "paying it forward" stories versus what's usually reported. I encourage you to learn more about these people and their stories of strength and survival. Oh...and practice paying it forward whenever there is an opportunity.
Watch for a documentary coming out in September featuring Jeff Parness and Greensburg, Kansas titled - "New York Says Thank You, The Movie".
Sister VC

REGARDING LEFT & RIGHT

Still no deal but in the meantime I just received the following e-mail regarding my blog about the childish circus of politicians. You know the ones who refuse to even attempt getting along with each other. Just thought it was profound so will copy here for all to read:

I am a small dog and really enjoyed your advice to little Carly while she was traveling. I read your latest blog about the politicians and, even though I'm of the canine persuasion myself, I have to agree with you. I don't know why the left wing can't get along with the right wing but if they were a bird they'd certainly not be able to fly, right? Now it's well known that you cats and us dogs don't always get along. Being a little dog, I tries to get along with cats because some of them are bigger than me and frankly scare the turds outta me. I don't understand how come the politicians are said to fight like cats and dogs when they are pachyderms and asses (kinda looks like they are all acting like asses, not just the asses) when cats and dogs really don't fight. Lets face it, although a dog loves a good fight now and then, cats just plain don't fight. When doggies fight we chase each other, bite or fake bite, bark loudly and wrestle. Cats don't fight. They either stand their ground and just hiss, slap with claws (something that really hurts by the way) or climb out of reach of the doggie. I've never seen cats and dogs call each other names like the politicians do. Why can't they "get along" like cats and dogs, from a distance?

Your reader, "Muttly C"
Sounds like the better way to be...everyone get along but who can ever show them the way when they seem to wear blinders like horses and suffer from selective hearing. So set in their ways, so determined they're always right, they refuse to bend or even listen to what's real anymore. Stupid is as stupid does? Crazy ridiculous the mess the world is in...
Thanks for your views Muttly C...
Sister VC