A Longwinded Post Concerning Cats (Helen Keim)

     You would not believe how long it took me to come up with a topic to blog about. I tried all the normal ways (brainstorming, asking your friends, asking them again) but that just seemed to end in lots of annoyed band kids and no new ideas. I tried looking at random scenery like they do on Project Runway for inspiration, but still no luck. I even resorted to scouring the internet which turned into unproductive Facebook stalking pretty quickly. The pages flew by in my planner as the due date drew near and my stress level rose. Then suddenly, I realized that the perfect topic has been literally staring me in the face (and standing on my keyboard…): cats!

     I have had at least one cat in my house at all times since I was born. They were always tolerant of me pulling their tails and not being very gentle as a little kid, and they still work their magic by changing crappy days at school into relaxing evenings. Because I am aware that not everyone likes cats as much as I do, I present my top five reasons for why cats are the greatest pets ever in hopes of changing your mind.

1.       Cats have personalities.

As far as I know, dogs have two modes: super excited and unconscious. Cats are far superior because they shake it up a bit in the personality department. For example, my cats, Mollie and Annie are resourceful enough to have created their own version of hockey. The rules are simple: bat your dry food around the kitchen floor until you get bored or get caught.

2.       Cat hair on your clothes is totally in style.

Just wait and see if you don’t believe me.

3.       Cats are an awesome way to lower your heating bill in the winter.

With each cat at a toasty 102.5 degrees, they work nicely as heaters if you can get one to sit on your lap.

4.       Cats require significantly less exercise than dogs.

Ever wished your dog walked itself? Well cats do!

5.       Cats are great companions.

There is nothing better after a bad test or a fight with our best friend than a cat who is always happy to see you. No slobber or weird wet dog smell, just a purring comforter.

     I hope that this has convinced you to love cats as much as I do (If not, I have some work to do on arguing before my AP Lang exam…). Click here to see a great website to find a rescued cat in the DC area. Or click here to email me your cat story and/or rant about why I’m wrong!

In the Defense of Literature

In our contemporary society, using technology as a means of entertainment has become the socially accepted standard. We criticize our parents and other elders who need to “get with the times” as it is said. Writing letters? Who does that anymore?  I mean, that is so last century! And books?

         

Now, I may be mislabled as a nerd (according to http://www.dictionary.com/), but I strongly believe that books are not mere objects to be pulled up on a screen. Books are our companions and friends. They cheer you up when you’re sad by sucking you into a magical world where we relate to well-developed characters and enjoy the savory sensation of a happy ending. We can curl up with one and escape the world, if only for a little while. And how do we repay our story-telling friends? By sticking them on the Internet available for a $2.99 download.

           

ebook image

We’re meant to hear the rustle of turning pages and see the flickering letters dance across the pages. Instead, we perfer to bind them to the cold restrictions of the online phenomena. We’re meant to take them off the shelf and lovingly stroke their spines. Instead, we slide a finger across a screen.  How impersonal does it get?

Ebooks are easier to carry, people say. They are more portable. While this is true—come on, try and prevent fifty someodd books from rolling around in the trunk—I believe that it hardly excuses the betrayal of one of our best friends. Would you stick your dog or cat on the Internet and maybe lead it around with a finger? Books may not be alive, but both pets and books comfort you, never question you, and cheer you up. ebooks can do none of these, bound as they are behind a multi-character password and a sliding touch screen.

box of books image

Technology is ever-growing in today’s society. Facebook, Twitter, cell phones competing to see who can be the smallest—I’d be hypocritical if I said that all technology should be banned. After all, I do have a Facebook which I use quite frequently! And where would I be on all those school essays if it wasn’t for Wiki—I mean, Google? Seriously, though, technology really is a marvelous thing. I just do not believe that books should be vacuumed up into its consuming mouth. Books have been around for centuries. They have served as a source of entertainment, information, and even inspiration for countless masses! They do not deserve to end at a fad that robs them of their significance and makes a circus exhibit out of them. The ebook bonanza may seem harmless enough now, but it really is only a small step from ebooks to simply downloading the stories into our brains. What would this result in? The end of books!

The End of Books (1984 reference)

 

Think about that the next time you pass a library or a bookstore. Who knows? By the twenty-second century, they might say “Apple” or the name of some other big ebook company. So buy the book, not the ebook!
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