Saving Lots of Kitties

I have a new follower on Twitter that runs a cat sanctuary. She and her husband rescue cats and give them a nice home. Some are adopted out, but the majority get to stay on the Funny Farm. You can read all about them at http://www.gafunnyfarm.org. They are currently trying to raise money for a fence so that the kitties and all the other animals can be safe. If you're a kitty lover check them out. You can also follow them on Twitter. They are @gafunnyfarm. I think they're doing an admirable job taking care of so many cats. I grew up in GA, out in the country, so I know that people often drive by and throw cats out of the car. The cats that my mom has are ones that just showed up one day, and we know it's because someone left them there. Don't take on a pet, if you don't have the means to take care of it. A lot of kitties are being left homeless because of foreclosures and the fact that a lot of landlords don't allow cats. Don't leave your little friends behind. Try to find a good home for them, or drop them off at a no-kill shelter, at the very least. Animals are living beings, too, and deserved to be treated well.

When It's All in Good Fun

I don't usually blog on Sunday, but something happened to a friend that makes me feel the need to speak. I've been having a lot of fun on Twitter and have met some very nice and very silly people. I've enjoyed reading their tweets and know that they're just there to have a good time. Because my updates are protected, I can choose who I let follow me. That helps me to weed out spam, porn bots, and people that may not have much of a sense of humor. The people I follow are a great bunch and I love seeing what they have to say. It makes me sad to think that somebody might get offended by words that are meant in jest. It also makes me mad that others would make fun of what someone has to say. If you don't want to see what someone has to say, then unfollow them. It's as simple as that. There's no need to reprimand them if you don't like something they said, and there's no need to talk smack about them. We're all adults here, as far as I know, so why don't we act like adults?

We All Have Our Demons

This week saw the passing of 3 major figures in popular culture. Each had known the heights of fame, only to be thrown into the pit of despair. We have all experienced despair, but we're lucky enough not to have it play out in the media for all eyes to see. In these tough economic times we are all having financial problems, but Ed McMahon's and Michael Jackson's financial problems were deemed worthy enough to be splashed on the front pages of newspapers because of who they are. Home foreclosures and Ed's Cash 4 Gold commercials were fodder for the press. Many of us know people or may be people who have or have had various forms of cancer. Because of the high-profile life that she once lead, Farrah Fawcett's cancer battle was one that the press wanted to squeeze every detail out of.

At one time or another, we've all said (whether seriously or jokingly) that we'd love to have some famous person's life, but when it comes right down to it, what price did they pay for their fame? I won't go into the myriad of problems that each of these people had because the dead deserve respect. It's a shame that the famous people of this world don't get the same respect in life. I know that many of them court the press, but their business is their business until they decide to make it ours. As Ed, Farrah, and Michael are being laid to rest, it would be great if their demons could finally be laid to rest too.

Gotta Love That Man

Once again Gavin DeGraw is bringing his charitable endeavors to the forefront. His latest blog post on MySpace is as follows:

Musicians on Call 10th Anniversary
Gavin has been involved with Musicians On Call for years and has visited many hospitals around the country. In honor of 10 years of bringing music to the bedsides of patients, MOC aims to raise $10,000 in 10 weeks, and Gavin is asking for your help!

This is a charity that's near and dear to Gavin's heart and he's witnessed firsthand the healing power of music. His is such a giving spirit and he encourages his fans to be the same way. For him it's always about the music and how it can be used to help others, which is very admirable. For those of you that may not know who he is, I have links to his sites posted on this blog. Regardless of whether or not you know or like him, this is a very worthy cause. If you love music, then you can understand how important the work is that Musicians on Call does. If you would like to donate, please click on this link http://www.musiciansoncall.org/index.htm?inc=5&news_id=16033.

What Does it Take?

Have you ever had someone in your life that despised you no matter how nice you were to them? Whether it's a family member or co-worker, it can make life very difficult. I'm someone who is very conscious of other people and their feelings. When I'm in a situation I try to think about the other person, as well as myself. My mom's the same way. I think it may have something to do with us both being Libras. Regardless of this fact, there are still people out there that are willing to turn on you after you've done something nice for them. The only thing that I can attribute it to is the fact that these people are so filled with self-loathing that it permeates everything around them. When you're like that, all you have at the end of the day is your hatred of others to keep you company. How sad is that? What does it take to make these people see how wrong they are? Apparently not death. The death in my family over a month ago derailed some of the ugliness for a short amount of time, but now it's back with a vengeance. If people spent their time getting their lives straight, then they wouldn't have time to spread their hatred around.

Commitment

It's a long word with scary connotations for some, but it's also a motivator. By committing to the things you know you need to do to get the things you want, you have something to strive for. Working toward our goals keeps us sharp, focused, and happy. When we're not working toward or trying to accomplish something, we get bored and sometimes even depressed.

Committing to something doesn't carve it in stone. Instead it gives you direction and a guideline to follow. As the situation changes you can adjust your plans to accommodate it. Life is always going to manage to throw a wrench in the works at some point or other. The way that we deal when that does happen shows what we're made of. It's hard to keep moving forward when something knocks us back. After fighting the good fight over and over again, the desire to give in can become very strong. I speak from experience on this one. It's easy to take a divergent path, but if you do that, you'll have to start from square one again, which is harder than continuing when you want to quit. When you're in the moment, it's hard to remember this, but keep it tucked away in your mind so that it's handy when you need it.

It's Okay to Be Who You Are

Over the past few decades, individuality has become taboo. A lot of young women feel that if they don't look and act like everyone else, they'll be left out in the cold. And then there are those that profess to be individuals, but are only the latest in a long line of conformists. At various stages of our lives we all want to fit in, but should never try so hard that we lose sight of who we are. I've always been someone who does my own thing. At times my choices have overlapped with what is or was the latest thing, but I never consciously sought to model myself after those things. Unfortunately, the quest for individuality can result in bullying. Years ago when we thought of bullying, we thought of larger boys beating up on smaller boys and sometimes girls. Now girls are bullies. There's the whole mean girl phenomenon that took hold about 10 years or so ago. Most of bullying from girls isn't physical, it's verbal. Rumors are spread and uncool girls are frozen out of the group. What I've described happens in elementary school. It only gets worse in middle and high school. It's becoming tougher and tougher for females as they grow up. The best thing for parents to do would be to let them know that it's okay to be different. Different doesn't equal bad. If we were all exactly the same and liked the same things, we'd be bored to death. Our differences are what make us interesting.