feral cats have taken over my neighborhood.
and my backyard is their home base.
i've never been a big fan of cats. i'm a dog person, through and through. but i don't hate cats. i don't hate any animal with a cute little face. at least i didn't until the great cat invasion of 2011.
it started with 3.
a black and white scrappy little guy (or gal) who prowled the wall around our yard..
a nervous cat always looking over his shoulder and sprinting at the sight of any human..
and a too-well-fed fluffy gray beast that would sit on a post perfectly still for hours while the other cats bowed before him.
i didn't mind that trio so much. they left my dog alone, stayed out of the yard and generally minded their own business.
the night the first litter was born, it was raining. Handsome and i heard this tiny terrified mewing sound coming from the neighbor's backyard. we peeked over the wall and even in the rainy darkness, we could see there was a little pile of newborn kittens struggling in the cold, without a mother cat in sight. it was sad. i felt pity for the little guys, knowing they wouldn't all make it.
fast-forward a few weeks. the black and white is roaming the walls, but wait! she's much much smaller than before. in fact, she is one of the kittens. "oh yay!" i thought. "one of them survived."
no, not one. all of them.
soon, there were half a dozen kittens on our walls at a time. and this generation was much bolder than the last. they didn't run from my dog's barking, and even when they ran from me, they would retreat only for a moment, then quickly return, challenging me.
after that, the cats started multiplying. this new litter had a litter of its own. a few more strays joined the colony. and either there is strength in numbers, making them more bold... or there simply isn't enough room left on the walls for all of them, because they have started to spend their nights in our backyard. if we step outside to take out the trash, it's a good bet we'll see three of them lounging in the grass, another two circling the firepit, one on the wall as a lookout and one more - usually old black and white - prowling the perimeter of the house.
most of them still run, but a few boldly hold their ground, not scared off even by my dog's yapping. one of them even perches on the wall, pretending to take swipes at my poor stressed-out puppy. because this is their headquarters. my backyard has become the HQ for the evil cat posse, and they feel as much ownership of it as i do.
too bad they don't help pay the mortgage.
and if you thought all that was a pain, get this:
it costs $25 bucks a pop to have the little jerks trapped, neutered and returned.
or worse - you can trap them yourself, take them down to animal control and pay $96 per cat just to TURN THEM IN!
i did a count this week and figured, at $25 a head, i'm looking at at least $300 just to have them fixed and brought right back to my backyard. and that will fix the problem ONLY if we catch every. single. one.
no thanks. i'm not betting $300 with those odds.
if anyone has ANY alternatives, please share before we become overrun by the feral felines!
Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
fight the flames
okay, i have something to say.
first, you should read this blog post and the following comments:
booksandpals greek seaman
oh wait. you probably already read it, huh? you know, due to everyone linking to it on twitter and facebook and forums and blogs. because that's what happens when authors royally screw up and go batshit crazy about a negative review. they get held up as an example of what not to do. and so they should be.
i'll go on the record now and say the reviewer is right, and the author is wrong. no question. the author went crazy, and even after that, the reviewer was professional. i'll also say i applaud the first commenters who stuck up for the reviewer and gave the author a few slaps. that probably needed to be done too.
but 50 or 100 comments later, i started to squirm. 300+ comments later, i was crawling out of my skin. maybe it's just me, but when i see an author's comments devolve from outrageously defensive to simply outrageous to finally just swearing/screaming in frustration, i start to get concerned. i read the first few comments with an eyeroll (authors need thicker skin. sheesh!) then a cringe (wow. she sounds... off.) and finally worry (where did the author go after that final "F-off!" comment? is she okay? what if she tries to hurt herself?)
maybe that's just my overactive imagination, but it's not the first time i've seen an author go wild, get flamed and disappear in a flash of obscenities. and every time i see it i think - i hope that person is okay. regardless of the bad behavior and the well-deserved smack down that follows, i do think there's a point when the flaming crosses a line into something else. (i won't use the word "bullying" because it's become a buzz word that's losing it's meaning. that's another blog post, another time.)
it just surprises me that members of the online literary community - the same community that embraced the "it gets better" message in a big way - can forget to be kind... even to people who don't seem to deserve kindness.
wow, i sound like a mushy sap in this post. i should confess: most people in my “real life” – particularly those who know me professionally – would tell you i have little tolerance for thin skin and irrational behavior.
i’m not telling anyone they shouldn’t comment or tweet or write their own blogs on the topic. i’m all about freedom of speech! do what you will. i’m only suggesting… maybe take a closer look at these cases when they come up and ask – has someone already said what I want to say? Does the target of this flame seem unstable? If I’m really still angry, what is the best way to fire back?
personally, i would suggest: don’t buy the authors’ books. refuse to read their words. as a writer, i can think of no greater punishment. beyond that, it’s just boxing the ears – painful, abusive and occasionally bloody.
of course, there are exceptions. some behavior is so consistent and outrageous that it deserves equally relentless berating online. (i'm looking at you, Charlie Sheen.)
first, you should read this blog post and the following comments:
booksandpals greek seaman
oh wait. you probably already read it, huh? you know, due to everyone linking to it on twitter and facebook and forums and blogs. because that's what happens when authors royally screw up and go batshit crazy about a negative review. they get held up as an example of what not to do. and so they should be.
i'll go on the record now and say the reviewer is right, and the author is wrong. no question. the author went crazy, and even after that, the reviewer was professional. i'll also say i applaud the first commenters who stuck up for the reviewer and gave the author a few slaps. that probably needed to be done too.
but 50 or 100 comments later, i started to squirm. 300+ comments later, i was crawling out of my skin. maybe it's just me, but when i see an author's comments devolve from outrageously defensive to simply outrageous to finally just swearing/screaming in frustration, i start to get concerned. i read the first few comments with an eyeroll (authors need thicker skin. sheesh!) then a cringe (wow. she sounds... off.) and finally worry (where did the author go after that final "F-off!" comment? is she okay? what if she tries to hurt herself?)
maybe that's just my overactive imagination, but it's not the first time i've seen an author go wild, get flamed and disappear in a flash of obscenities. and every time i see it i think - i hope that person is okay. regardless of the bad behavior and the well-deserved smack down that follows, i do think there's a point when the flaming crosses a line into something else. (i won't use the word "bullying" because it's become a buzz word that's losing it's meaning. that's another blog post, another time.)
it just surprises me that members of the online literary community - the same community that embraced the "it gets better" message in a big way - can forget to be kind... even to people who don't seem to deserve kindness.
wow, i sound like a mushy sap in this post. i should confess: most people in my “real life” – particularly those who know me professionally – would tell you i have little tolerance for thin skin and irrational behavior.
i’m not telling anyone they shouldn’t comment or tweet or write their own blogs on the topic. i’m all about freedom of speech! do what you will. i’m only suggesting… maybe take a closer look at these cases when they come up and ask – has someone already said what I want to say? Does the target of this flame seem unstable? If I’m really still angry, what is the best way to fire back?
personally, i would suggest: don’t buy the authors’ books. refuse to read their words. as a writer, i can think of no greater punishment. beyond that, it’s just boxing the ears – painful, abusive and occasionally bloody.
of course, there are exceptions. some behavior is so consistent and outrageous that it deserves equally relentless berating online. (i'm looking at you, Charlie Sheen.)
Sunday, January 23, 2011
the Lemi Shine solution
i am trying to build a website.
it is not going well.
after a marathon evening (6 hours!) of sitting in front of the computer trying to download programs and decipher code and interpret techno-talk, i threw up my hands and said something to the effect of: "i'm a writer, not a f*@$!^% website designer!"
then i had a charming little temper tantrum that involved ripping papers to tiny shreds and moving all of my newly downloaded files to a folder i titled: "Stuff I HATE!!"
this behavior may or may not have been fueled by half a bottle of red wine.
on this very same night, i discovered a solution to another problem that's been eating up my time.
story:
for the past year, i've been noticing a slight film left behind on my dishes after they come out of the washer. recently, this problem became so bad, i had to throw out utensils and cooking equipment that had become permanently coated in a white chalky film.
handsome and i tried everything from different dishwasher rinses to scrubbing the dishes with rough sponges AFTER they'd already been washed. we turned to the internet for advice several times and finally found a suggestion to buy a product called Lemi Shine.
it is not going well.
after a marathon evening (6 hours!) of sitting in front of the computer trying to download programs and decipher code and interpret techno-talk, i threw up my hands and said something to the effect of: "i'm a writer, not a f*@$!^% website designer!"
then i had a charming little temper tantrum that involved ripping papers to tiny shreds and moving all of my newly downloaded files to a folder i titled: "Stuff I HATE!!"
this behavior may or may not have been fueled by half a bottle of red wine.
on this very same night, i discovered a solution to another problem that's been eating up my time.
story:
for the past year, i've been noticing a slight film left behind on my dishes after they come out of the washer. recently, this problem became so bad, i had to throw out utensils and cooking equipment that had become permanently coated in a white chalky film.
handsome and i tried everything from different dishwasher rinses to scrubbing the dishes with rough sponges AFTER they'd already been washed. we turned to the internet for advice several times and finally found a suggestion to buy a product called Lemi Shine.
try to imagine this bottle with a cape and super hero music
a single load later... TA DA! - sparkling dishes with not a speck of film anywhere. it turns out that chalky stuff was from our hard water. now, instead of spending a bundle for a water softener, we simply add a little Lemi Shine to every load.
i estimate this discovery is saving me an hour of effort every week. that's more than two whole days every year. and for just a few bucks a bottle, i say it's a bargain. i'm such a fan, i'm considering Lemi Shine product placement in my next book.
it got me thinking about how valuable our time is and how much of it gets unnecessarily wasted.
so i made a decision to find an easier route to website creation.
24 hours after my temper tantrum, i remain stressed, but much less so, because i enlisted the help of a website developer to do my heavy-lifting. this is going to cost money (though not nearly what other people pay, because i'm hiring a friend and doing a simple site), and i believe it will be money well spent.
it's not exactly the "Lemi Shine" solution, but it's going to give me a lot more time to do what really matters - write!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
NaNo Love
it's almost november, which means i am starting to see some variation of this statement pop up all over the internet:
"You can't write a good book in 30 days."
to which i say: Bullshit.
..unless someone says it directly to me, in which case i say, "oh, you're totally right, i personally can't write a good book in 30 days... but i can get one hell of a running start."
in fact, i bet i could write most of a book in 30 days.
i bet i could write enough to be motivated to finish that book.
i bet i could spend the next few months revising that book.
i bet i could land an agent.
and i bet a year later i could be on sub to publishers with that book.
you see where i'm going with this? BUTTER was a NaNoWriMo manuscript. and it's a lot better than the book i spent a year writing before that.
"You can't write a good book in 30 days."
to which i say: Bullshit.
..unless someone says it directly to me, in which case i say, "oh, you're totally right, i personally can't write a good book in 30 days... but i can get one hell of a running start."
in fact, i bet i could write most of a book in 30 days.
i bet i could write enough to be motivated to finish that book.
i bet i could spend the next few months revising that book.
i bet i could land an agent.
and i bet a year later i could be on sub to publishers with that book.
you see where i'm going with this? BUTTER was a NaNoWriMo manuscript. and it's a lot better than the book i spent a year writing before that.
i did not finish a book during NaNo; i did not reach the 50,000-word goal; but i did learn a lot. for starters, i learned i write better when i'm fast and focused. i also learned NaNo is a great way for me to get back in the habit after my always-busy month of october, when i rarely write a word. finally, i learned feeling accountable to a community of writers is good motivation for me. i never wanted to show up to a NaNo group-write or log on to AW without a new word count.
every NaNo veteran has their own reasons for participating - or not participating, if it doesn't work for them. but this post is especially for the writers who haven't done it but want to try. i just don't want anyone to be discouraged if they see or hear: "You can't write a good book in 30 days."
maybe you can't. but maybe you can. or maybe that's not even the point. but if you want to give it a shot, you shouldn't let anyone else's opinion discourage you.
plus, i just don't like that word: "can't."
ick.
yes you CAN!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
speak up
..LOUDLY!
the literary blogosphere is alive this normally sleepy Sunday - alive with outrage over an editorial by some ass face in Missouri who is pushing for censorship of the much-loved book, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson... an article in which he not only slams Anderson but also - for good measure - my favorite author of all time (whose book was, in fact, removed from the school district's curriculum - sadly).
here's the bottom line on the controversy: the article implies that the rape scenes in Speak are akin to pornography. he further implies that no good Christian would condone such a book.
i wouldn't normally waste blog space even acknowledging such ignorance, but in this case, the author herself has called for help, and i'm inclined to answer that call and add my voice to the chorus of those "speaking up for Speak."
from Anderson's website:
I need your help.
Please share your experiences with SPEAK; your own response to the book, or the way you’ve seen it work in a school setting. Tahleen has already posted her thoughts on her blog. You can do the same. Please share links to your blog in Comments.
i don't have a personal story to share, but i wanted to guide you to some of the more eloquent posts i've read on the subject tonight, in case you haven't seen them:
- click here for a response from the author herself. the poem in the video moved me to tears.
- click here for a response from a SURVIVOR.
- click here for a response from a Christian.
- click here for a response from a literary agent.
- click here for a long-ass list of links to blogs by writers and opponents of censorship.
and aw, hell, click here for a link to the original article causing the uproar, because i'm a journalist down to my bones and believe you need to read both sides of the story to make up your own mind. (though i can't imagine anyone reading this guy's thoughts and feeling anything other than horror and embarrassment on his behalf.)
by the way, if you write grit and truth and things that teens NEED to read and talk about, even if it scares adults... then the best revenge on this guy is to write those books and make them sing.
because an army of teenagers toting around books like Speak screams a lot louder than the voice of a single fool.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
a rare rant
true story.
about 10 or 12 years ago, i was home from college on a holiday break, enjoying some much-deserved time reading for pleasure instead of reading for school. i was happily toting around a different book every day. one book in particular would one day be ranked among my top three.
one evening, a family friend (we'll call him "BS" for "the book spoiler") saw me clutching future favorite book and commented how much he liked it.
what follows is a very real conversation:
BS: it's so good because -
Me: no, wait! don't say anything! i'm not even halfway through it yet.
BS: ok, it's just that -
Me: really, i don't want to know anything.
BS: i understand. i won't give anything away. it's just that character X is the worst villain in -
Me: i know, but don't tell me!
BS: i won't. it's just, you think she's evil now?
Me: please.
BS: wait until -
Me: no, please..
BS: - you see how she reacts when character Y ...dies.
Me: (mouth and eyes wide open, too shocked to cry)
BS: what?
Me: you just ruined it.
BS: no i didn't.
Me: yeah... yeah, you did.
i cannot stand book spoilers.
now, that's not to say i object to people putting book spoilers up on the internet ever at all. freedom of information and all that.
but i do appreciate a nice big flashing *spoilers ahead* warning, and it doesn't hurt to resist putting up spoilers until a book has been out in the world for at least a few days.
i also don't really mind movie spoilers. if i know the ending, see the flick anyway, and it ruins the movie for me... what have i really lost? two hours of my time and 20 bucks for the ticket and popcorn? meh. i'll survive.
but i think we invest a lot more in reading. not just more time, but more heart, more imagination. we go somewhere when we read, and spoiling a book spoils the whole trip.
i eventually forgave our family friend. he was inconsiderate but not evil.
but i hate.. i detest.. i LOATHE.. the young man who stood outside the Harry Potter book 6 midnight release party, skipped to the last few chapters and shouted - literally shouted - the climactic ending to everyone who walked out of Borders that night.
i managed to convince myself he made it up and was just trying to be funny.
but for all the children who might struggle to read a book as big as Harry Potter... for all the families looking forward to sharing the big "gasp" moments in the story... for everyone who loves HP enough to show up at midnight on a school/work night... for all of them, i hate that guy.
now, many of you may have seen the plea this week by Suzanne Collins to not post Mockingjay spoilers on the web - or at the very least, to wait a few days. if you haven't seen it yet, here is the link.
i hope readers will respect this fine author's wishes and try very hard not to spoil the plot twists - intentionally, accidentally or otherwise.
her plea hits close to home, because now i will confess:
recently, my mom was reading Hunger Games, and in my effort to convince her to read the next book, Catching Fire, i said something about the 2nd book plot that gave away a huge part of the ending of Hunger Games. my dad, who already read the 1st book, spotted my faux pas and gave me a look similar to the one i gave our family friend all those years ago.
when i realized my error, i wanted to cry. my mom instantly forgave me, but i was miserable for my mistake.
so i, for one, am keeping mum about Mockingjay.
and i hope you all will too.
about 10 or 12 years ago, i was home from college on a holiday break, enjoying some much-deserved time reading for pleasure instead of reading for school. i was happily toting around a different book every day. one book in particular would one day be ranked among my top three.
one evening, a family friend (we'll call him "BS" for "the book spoiler") saw me clutching future favorite book and commented how much he liked it.
what follows is a very real conversation:
BS: it's so good because -
Me: no, wait! don't say anything! i'm not even halfway through it yet.
BS: ok, it's just that -
Me: really, i don't want to know anything.
BS: i understand. i won't give anything away. it's just that character X is the worst villain in -
Me: i know, but don't tell me!
BS: i won't. it's just, you think she's evil now?
Me: please.
BS: wait until -
Me: no, please..
BS: - you see how she reacts when character Y ...dies.
Me: (mouth and eyes wide open, too shocked to cry)
BS: what?
Me: you just ruined it.
BS: no i didn't.
Me: yeah... yeah, you did.
i cannot stand book spoilers.
now, that's not to say i object to people putting book spoilers up on the internet ever at all. freedom of information and all that.
but i do appreciate a nice big flashing *spoilers ahead* warning, and it doesn't hurt to resist putting up spoilers until a book has been out in the world for at least a few days.
i also don't really mind movie spoilers. if i know the ending, see the flick anyway, and it ruins the movie for me... what have i really lost? two hours of my time and 20 bucks for the ticket and popcorn? meh. i'll survive.
but i think we invest a lot more in reading. not just more time, but more heart, more imagination. we go somewhere when we read, and spoiling a book spoils the whole trip.
i eventually forgave our family friend. he was inconsiderate but not evil.
but i hate.. i detest.. i LOATHE.. the young man who stood outside the Harry Potter book 6 midnight release party, skipped to the last few chapters and shouted - literally shouted - the climactic ending to everyone who walked out of Borders that night.
i managed to convince myself he made it up and was just trying to be funny.
but for all the children who might struggle to read a book as big as Harry Potter... for all the families looking forward to sharing the big "gasp" moments in the story... for everyone who loves HP enough to show up at midnight on a school/work night... for all of them, i hate that guy.
now, many of you may have seen the plea this week by Suzanne Collins to not post Mockingjay spoilers on the web - or at the very least, to wait a few days. if you haven't seen it yet, here is the link.
i hope readers will respect this fine author's wishes and try very hard not to spoil the plot twists - intentionally, accidentally or otherwise.
her plea hits close to home, because now i will confess:
recently, my mom was reading Hunger Games, and in my effort to convince her to read the next book, Catching Fire, i said something about the 2nd book plot that gave away a huge part of the ending of Hunger Games. my dad, who already read the 1st book, spotted my faux pas and gave me a look similar to the one i gave our family friend all those years ago.
when i realized my error, i wanted to cry. my mom instantly forgave me, but i was miserable for my mistake.
so i, for one, am keeping mum about Mockingjay.
and i hope you all will too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)