Common Courtesy

“With great power, comes great responsibility” is a quote I learned as a young nerd, and writer’s need to remember that their words can carry great power. I was rather upset this morning to see an author I once admired abusing her power.

A reader had made a mistake, and instead of privately correcting the mistake, the author posted it on facebook and twitter, openly ridiculing the reader. Not only was the author laughing at this reader but now all 100,000 plus fans were laughing as well.

It was an innocent enough comment, but I still felt bad for the reader.

This is a form of cyber bulling, and I wonder if the author is aware of that fact. No she didn’t name the person, but I’m sure they probably read her comment, and is now extremely humiliated to have their simple mistake mocked by hundreds of people. No matter the mistake, the author had no right posting it, declaring it open season on the reader. Instead she should have just sent a message back explaining the mistake. The more famous you become, the higher the standards you are held.

What is it mothers always try to teach their children?

“Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

And

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

We should all think about that before we post. The internet would be a better place.

For the Animals!

Anyone who knows me, knows how important my animals are to me. I take great care of them and often spoil them rotten. They are a major part of our family. Why else have animals, but to love them?

It's almost August, the hottest month of the year. For many of us, the heat has tipped into triple digits several times. I know, I've seen everyone moaning about it on facebook. So what do we do to cool off? Stay inside, crank up the AC, and enjoy some iced beverages.

But what about the animals. Some pets have to suffer out in this heat while their owners are out to work with nothing but a bowl of water to cool themselves off. If you don't know already, dogs and cats have no sweat glands. It's harder for them to cool down than us. So if you have an animal outside in the heat all day please ensure they are comfortable. Here are a few things you can do to help them keep cool.

~ Lots of water! My recommendation, go to Wal-mart and buy a little plastic pool. Not only will your dog have plenty of water but if it gets too hot they can take a swim. Also, the birds and other wildlife will enjoy getting a little drink. Make sure your animal can get in and out of the pool. If you have a puppy or kitten the wading pool may be too much water for them. They must be capable of getting in and out effortlessly.

~ Shade! Make sure your animal has a way to get out of the sun. They can get sunburns, and heat strokes just like us!

~ Sand. In a shady spot in the yard, dump a bag of sand and lightly moisten it each day. Your animal may be sandy and need brushed down when they come in, but it is a comfortable, cheap solution to keeping them cool all day.

~ There are also special cooling beds you can purchase if you feel like shelling out the bucks.

~ Ice cube treats. Putting a few goodies in an ice cube and letting your animal lick off the ice can be a wonderful way to cool down.

~ Give them a haircut. It helps a ton for those with longer fur.

~ NEVER, EVER leave your animal in a car unsupervised! Temperatures inside a car rise fast, and your animal can die.

Animals are like children, they need us to take care of them. So please, do all that you can to ensure the animals are well cared for!

What other advise do you have to keeping our companions cool this summer?