Local Business Shout Out for Small Business Saturday

This past Saturday we celebrated Small Business Saturday. This is a time to get out, support, and recognize local businesses in our community. It's also an opportunity for small businesses to support other small businesses.

In effort to help get my name out there, I planned to set a goal to pass out business cards everywhere I went on my errands on Saturday. Whether it was a community bulletin board or even a cashier, it seemed like a good plan. However, that plan quickly changed with an impromptu trip to a local, family-owned zoo to do some Christmas shopping.

Since it was late November, park hours and attractions are limited, and most animals are residing in their on-site shelters and habitats for the winter. But the zoo manages to stay open year-round, even with limited income. And the fact that most of their animals remain on-site, I couldn't help but wonder how they survive during the off season. Perhaps with all the ticket sales that are sold in the Spring and Summer they are able to tuck some off for the off season's operation costs.

On March 13th, 2012, a fire broke out in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, MA, which resulted in a widespread power outage, which consumed blocks upon blocks of businesses and restaurants. The outage spread from the Theater District, Chinatown, Kenmore Square, and the South End. As a result, much of the food that restaurants stored weren't kept at the proper temperature or was not up to code or safe to serve to the public once power was restored to the area. Most restaurants did what they only could do, and that was to purge all the spoiled food. However, the Capitol Grille on Boyston St. donated all of its raw meat to the tigers at Southwick's Zoo.

Of course competition is good for the economy and forces businesses to offer competitive, affordable pricing This is a perfect example of one small business helping another. I was reminded of this story when visiting the zoo myself this past Saturday, which also inspired this blog post.

So rather than spending Small Business Saturday trying to promote myself, I decided to recognize another local business. I can tell my story another time. Part of my responsibility as an entrepreneur and business owner is to recognize other entrepreneurs and other small businesses. And while I would love to visit the tigers and other animals, since I am a huge animal lover at heart, I think I'll wait until the Spring and just visit the gift shop for the holiday season.


Image credit: © Carolyne Pehora | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Written content: © 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions

Thought This Was Funny...

A dear family member of mine forwarded this to me earlier this morning in an email. I thought it was funny so I thought I would share. (Original owner/sender not known).


FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PETS, THIS IS A TRUE STORY.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T, IT'S STILL A TRUE STORY.
The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.
Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog's or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS
(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals.. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
(1) eat less,
(2) don't ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,
(6) don't hang out with drug-using people;
(7) don't smoke or drink,
(8) don't want to wear your clothes,
(9) don't have to buy the latest fashions,
(10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and
(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children .....

Bald Eagles Visit the Blackstone Valley, Massachusetts

This picture of a Bald Eagle was taken this morning, January 31st, 2012, in Massachusetts by my father, who was out for his morning stroll.

Over the last couple of months, more and more Bald Eagles have been spotted in this area. They mostly can be found near water, as these birds of prey eat mostly fish.

Although the Bald Eagle was removed from the nation's "Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Species", it is still pretty amazing to see one in our area, as they are most commonly found in Alaska.

According to some statistics, it appears that the Bald Eagle is classified as a "winter visitor" in our area, but with the few that have been spotted, I hope they are here to stay.

Pet Anxiety: A True Thing

I’ve always known that pets have the ability to experience anxiety, but it was only until recently that I’ve seen it in action. One of my cats, Toto, started becoming very depressed. He wouldn’t play as often, he would shelter himself under one of the chairs in the corner, he wouldn’t eat with the other cats around, and he wouldn’t come to us for attention as often as he used to. It was heart-breaking.

Toto is one of the sweetest cats you would ever meet. He is compassionate, polite, warm, and loving. He will talk to you, greet you when you come home, cuddle with you when you are hurt or sick, lick your tears when you are sad, and loves to be a part of what you are doing. Toto will be turning five years old in April of this year in addition to his brother, Nikki. They’ve been together since birth. My husband and I, who I was dating at the time, adopted them in 2007 as kittens. This past August we found a four-month old orange kitten abandoned in our backyard. We brought him to the Worcester Animal Rescue League and adopted him a week later and named him “Cooper”. Toto, being the compassionate cat that he is, mothered him, groomed him, played with him, and made sure that he felt at home.

Almost six months later, Cooper has fully adjusted, has grown fatter, and is growing into a very big boy! However, Cooper only has one drive each day, and that’s to play and annoy the other cats as often as possible. He is constantly jumping, sneak attacking, and stealing toys from Nikki and Toto. It doesn’t seem to phase Nikki, but over the last few months, Toto seems to be taking it personally.

I started researching on what I could do to help poor Toto. The more research I did, the more I discovered that Toto was most likely suffering from anxiety. I discovered that, in fact, anxiety is extremely common in cats. Cats are extremely sensitive to their environments. Even the slightest changes, such as a schedule or routine change, a move, or even rearranging furniture can cause cats stress. It was amazing. The solution? Spend more time with them. Invite him or her to play or spend some time talking or cuddling. So I thought I’d give it a shot.

One night after I got home from work, Nikki and Cooper came running to greet me, and there was poor Toto sitting under his favorite chair in my dining room. I made sure to give Nikki and Cooper attention and thanks for greeting me, and then I walked over and crouched down next to Toto. It is important to drop down to the same level as cats so they don’t feel intimidated. I sat and spoke to him, very calmly and softly, and after a few minutes, I got up and left him to his space. It is also important to respect a cat’s personal space. They like their alone time too. A few minutes later, he jumped up out of hiding and called after me to keep petting him. Shocked, I turned around and I returned to petting him. He rolled over the floor on his black which means “pet my belly” like he used to do.

The next day when I came home from work, I repeated the same procedure. Only this time we played a game with his favorite toys. He came out of his slump almost immediately. Sometimes when we notice Cooper is bothering Toto a little too much, we each entertain one so the other doesn’t feel left out. Or since they have to have separate meal times, we will have play time after dinner while the other cats are eating. Now each time we enter a room and see Toto, we make a point to speak to him and pet him. And he definitely appreciates it.

In a week, the changes in his attitude were miraculous. He’s the same old cat we all know and love. I was really amazed to see how drastic and quick the changes were. I was also amazed to see how well cats interact with humans when you take the right approach.

I realize not all pets can benefit this, especially if some situations have had its ill effects on them, but if you pay attention to your pet, he or she will notice. Some pet anxiety situations can be treated with medications, but I think that should be saved for extreme cases. Obviously it’s best to consult with a vet prior to medicating your pet or buying meds off the Internet.

"Cooper" the Kitten Plays Fetch

This is a video taken of my kitten "Cooper", that we found abandoned in our yard on August 12th, 2011. We brought him to the Worcester Animal Rescue League in Worcester, MA, where he was treated for fleas, was neutered, and received all his shots. Here he is, four months old, and he's grown quite sociable and has even learned to play "Fetch" on his own. Enjoy!

Is It Because I'm Black?




 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.

Bilingual Felines

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...