Sunday and sundry
- I knew the average American’s ignorance of geography is appalling, but it’s even worse than most of us dreamed: here’s an NPR story about how many Americans don’t even know that New Mexico is one of the 50 states. Funny and frightening.
- I know how rarely I comment even on the blogs I read every day, so I really appreciate it when someone takes the time to comment here—maybe even more so when they post a contrary opinion. You probably won’t change my mind, but at the very least it’s good for me to re-examine my chain of reasoning.
I had a commenter the other day who appears to have not to understood the post he was commenting on, a fact I pointed out in an answering comment. He responded by posting two more comments which were even farther afield, comments which I denied permission to publish. Please, if you do comment, make it a response to my post and not a generalized rant on politics or a profession of your own religious faith (or a denigration of the faith of others). Come on, it’s easy enough to set up your own blog for that kind of thing, for free, even.
The one exception to the rule above is personal greetings from people who don’t know how else to contact me. I’ll send you an email—and don’t worry, even if I publish your comment, Movable Type won’t display your email address. - For anybody remotely curious as to what I do for a lving, or one of the things I do, here are a couple examples which recently went live:
- Barsotti.com—long-time client Charles Barsotti needed an update to his site to promote a new book of his dog cartoons, They Moved My Bowl. He provided me with artwork and a storyboard for a Flash animation; I found some sound effects and built the thing. Neither one of us is sure how well suited his stuff is for animation (at least on such a limited budget), but you can judge for yourself by taking a look at his site. Charley is a legendary cartoonist—if you have read The New Yorker, Playboy, Fast Company or any number of other publications in the last 40 years, you’ve seen his work. I feel privileged to work with him, but more to the point, he’s just so damn much fun!
- CL Nationwide, Inc.—a transportation broker based in the KC metro area. I worked with them over a period of months to design a new logo and web presence. This is a good example of how client feedback can lead you to designs you would have never come up with on your own, and I mean that in a good way. It took longer than either of us expected, but I think it’s a unique design.
- This one has been making the rounds lately, but if you like cats you’ll want to see it if you haven’t already: the Mr. Lee CatCam. I’ve meaning to post this for months but never seem to get to it.
- Finally, speaking of cats, 18-year-old Ms. Tigger is starting to show signs of frailty. She has started using the carpet behind my office computer as a litter box. I took her to the vet, and apparently she has a certain amount of kidney disease (inevitable in a cat that old) and hyperthyroidism. I’ve started giving her thyroid meds twice a day and she seems calmer, but the smell in my office can be unbearable, especially when it’s warm and humid (um, Kansas City in August?). Anybody know a good kitty odor remover? I’ve tried several without a lot of luck, and Febreze and incense aren’t particularly good alternatives either.
Comments
Hi Pat,
We have two cats and for whatever reason, they have started using all manner of inappropriate spots as their personal urinals. (One of them even peed on my wife while she slept!) Bissel and Hoover each make a pet formula carpet shampoo that you can dilute and put in a spray bottle if you don't have a shampooer. The cleaner has an enzyme that breaks down the proteins and helps prevent the spot from attracting more activity. It seems to help quite a bit at our house, anyway. It also works on dog urine.
Hope it helps!
Posted by: Gary Luebbert | August 6, 2007 01:16 PM
Thanks, Gary! I'll check into it.
Nice to hear from you again--hope you're doing well.
Posted by: pat | August 6, 2007 04:02 PM
When I was in the school choir back in 6th grade, we did a song where we sang the names of all the states, in alphabetical order. I can still do it.
And later on in school, somewhere in jr high or high school, we had to learn where all the states were, be able to point to them on a map. I recall being called on and getting them all right, and thus not having to take the test later.
Posted by: Ellen | August 6, 2007 09:10 PM
Hyperthyroidism in older cats is apparently fairly common as well. We just discovered three weeks ago our 14 year old Bosco has it. Probably on the same meds, twice a day.
I don't have any advice about the odor, but Feliway is supposed to be good for stopping repeat use of that spot. It's certainly works very well for overall calming (we got some when we introduced the kittens to the household).
Posted by: Reid | August 6, 2007 10:25 PM
FWIW, the vet recommended Anti Icky Poo, which she said works better than anything else she knows of. I haven't yet tried it or the ones you all have kindly suggested.
Instead, I put a new litter box back in the corner behind the computer, and that's pretty much taken care of the problem. I use Arm & Hammer's scoopable litter, and don't notice any odor at all.
Reid, yes, the vet said that hyperthyroidism is very common in kitties of advanced age. Best of luck with Bosco--I almost feel like I know him from your photos.
Posted by: pat | August 17, 2007 07:57 PM
Pat,
To get rid of most any smell around your home, including the pungent odor of cat urine, use any product with active enzymes (as Gary L posted). The enzymes "eat" away the odors. A common cleaner used in households for cats or pets of any kind, is "Natures Miracle". This product and many just like it can be found at most pet supply stores, be it a large chain or a small business. Once the odor has been removed try using a tiny amount of lavender oil to clean the cat box which should attract your cat back to it's normal spot. Best of luck!
Posted by: Phil | August 18, 2007 01:05 AM
Thanks, Phil. Actually, Nature's Miracle is the first product I tried. It was hard to tell how well it worked because the cat kept going in the area. The litter box seems to be the best solution. Fortunately, it's where clients can't see it!
Posted by: pat | August 18, 2007 11:50 AM