After exhausting all other ideas to stop Crush from scratching the bedroom door frame, I've decided to pull one more rabbit outta my hat. If this doesn't work I'm done trying!
It occurred to me one night that my problems would be solved if I could only find something that was disturbing for the cats, but not at all unpleasant for humans. The dog whistle - or Galton whistle if we want to get technical - is the perfect solution. The cats can hear it and I cannot.
Everyone calls it a dog whistle because it's used to train dogs and that's the largest market. I doesn't have to end there though; you can train any animal with any kind of whistle. My master plan is to use the whistle in conjunction with my voice and hand commands until one day I don't have to do anything because the damn cats will have learned what is appropriate behaviour.
Early in the morning when the cats are scratching the door I can blow the whistle and they'll be disturbed and stop. I won't be annoying any of my neighbours. I don't have to get out of bed. I don't have to yell. My only concern is the other dogs in the building hearing the whistle and getting riled up. If that happens there's nothing I can do and nobody will be able to blame me because how would they'd know? Ha!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Making Friends in Movies
I watched the movie "Terri" the other night. It was about some high school misfits who make friends in a heartwarming coming-of-age type way. It wasn't a bad movie, but I wouldn't watch it again.
Anyway, it got me to thinking... why is it that the protagonist never has to make friends? He or she is in this new environment, new town, new school, new whatever, and there's always one person that comes along and befriends him or her. And this person doing the befriending becomes some sort of best friend too quickly, as if he or she has all the time and conversation starters in the world and doesn't have other friends and family to tend to.
Then this "new friend" introduces the protagonist to a couple of other people and together they go on some sort of adventure, have an amazing summer, or save the world or what have you. The protagonist is usually minding his or her own business too when a stranger approaches and asks, "So, you're the new kid?" or "Hey, I've seen you around town." or maybe points out the bitch to avoid, or offers advice on how to deal with the asshole after bearing witness to an unpleasant encounter.
In no way am I an expert on friend-making, but I do know that for most people their first friends are friends by proximity - meaning they didn't actively try to make friends, they just happened to become friends because they sat beside each other in class, or their moms put them in the same play group, or they lived on the same neighbourhood block. There was no conscious effort. You just went out and did your thing and became friends without realizing it.
As interests developed, the friendships either grew apart or became stronger. I think that's why our oldest, childhood friendships are our best ones. They came about so organically we can't even pinpoint when or how it happened.
As we become adults, we make friends by proximity at work, in our neighbourhood, and maybe even at our favourite coffee shop or bar. This is harder to do compared to when we were young because now we feel age gaps, our interests have evolved, and we're naturally more cynical and suspicious of others.
Then there's friends by interest group. You make friends with people on your sports team, or in your art class, or your chess club. You joined these groups because A) you liked what it was about and wanted to participate for your own personal interest, and B) you wanted to meet others with similar interests to yours.
These are the only two ways to make friends in my opinion. If you go about it any other way, you're setting yourself up for ridicule or to be arrested. (ie: I see you're buying oranges. I love oranges! Come over to play tomorrow night and we can have some fresh squeezed orange juice together!) A stranger who tells you his name is still strange. That's why it's so weird when a stranger takes the protagonist under his or her wing and starts sharing information about the place, the people, making introductions, going on a tour around the premises. Nobody does that in real life! Ever!
Or maybe they do. I've never experienced such a thing.
Anyway, it got me to thinking... why is it that the protagonist never has to make friends? He or she is in this new environment, new town, new school, new whatever, and there's always one person that comes along and befriends him or her. And this person doing the befriending becomes some sort of best friend too quickly, as if he or she has all the time and conversation starters in the world and doesn't have other friends and family to tend to.
Then this "new friend" introduces the protagonist to a couple of other people and together they go on some sort of adventure, have an amazing summer, or save the world or what have you. The protagonist is usually minding his or her own business too when a stranger approaches and asks, "So, you're the new kid?" or "Hey, I've seen you around town." or maybe points out the bitch to avoid, or offers advice on how to deal with the asshole after bearing witness to an unpleasant encounter.
In no way am I an expert on friend-making, but I do know that for most people their first friends are friends by proximity - meaning they didn't actively try to make friends, they just happened to become friends because they sat beside each other in class, or their moms put them in the same play group, or they lived on the same neighbourhood block. There was no conscious effort. You just went out and did your thing and became friends without realizing it.
As interests developed, the friendships either grew apart or became stronger. I think that's why our oldest, childhood friendships are our best ones. They came about so organically we can't even pinpoint when or how it happened.
As we become adults, we make friends by proximity at work, in our neighbourhood, and maybe even at our favourite coffee shop or bar. This is harder to do compared to when we were young because now we feel age gaps, our interests have evolved, and we're naturally more cynical and suspicious of others.
Then there's friends by interest group. You make friends with people on your sports team, or in your art class, or your chess club. You joined these groups because A) you liked what it was about and wanted to participate for your own personal interest, and B) you wanted to meet others with similar interests to yours.
These are the only two ways to make friends in my opinion. If you go about it any other way, you're setting yourself up for ridicule or to be arrested. (ie: I see you're buying oranges. I love oranges! Come over to play tomorrow night and we can have some fresh squeezed orange juice together!) A stranger who tells you his name is still strange. That's why it's so weird when a stranger takes the protagonist under his or her wing and starts sharing information about the place, the people, making introductions, going on a tour around the premises. Nobody does that in real life! Ever!
Or maybe they do. I've never experienced such a thing.
