Snippets

I had written a few snippets for Zero when we have the résumé assignment. I wanted to re-post a few of those as well as explore possible meta descriptions for other types of websites. Enjoy!

--Zero's Narrator

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Twitter:  
Sign up for Twitter to follow The Chronicles of Zero. Keep up to date with Zero, the cat who has captured the hearts of a nation.

Official Blog:  
Zero is a cat. His life is about to change. 

IMDb (for Zero's film): 
Zero is a cat. Accustomed to life on the streets, he must adjust to his new life when a compassionate woman brings him in to her home. 

Wikipedia (musical): 
The Chronicles of Zero is a Broadway musical, written by Kathleen Marshall, based on popular blog and film of the same name.

YouTube (a video from the musical):  
The Chronicles of Zero - How to Catch a Mouse (A scene from the 2013 Broadway Musical)

Lyrics for the musical's songs:  
The Chronicles of Zero - How to Catch a Mouse lyrics: When it's time for dinner I sit and I wait...

Fan site:  
A fan site for Zero, the friendly feline popularized in The Chronicles of Zero blog and film. Featuring photos, transcripts, videos from the new musical, online chats with Zero, and much more.

A news story that might pop up in a search:  
Zero the cat may be fictional, but his plight, popularized in the famous blog, film, and musical The Chronicles of Zero, has led to some positive changes in adoption numbers at local humane societies in the United States.

Wikipedia Post

Here is a draft of an original article for our Wikipedia assignment. This was tough! I'm not sure how to create footnotes within Blogger, but all references are posted at the bottom. I used blue text to highlight what words would link to Wikipedia articles if those articles existed in real life. Other words are linked directly to actual Wikipedia articles. Because of the topic I chose, there were not any available non-web sources, except for the interview. --Zero's Narrator

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The cover drawing for Songs for Cats

Songs for Cats

Songs for Cats is the title of a split cassette tape recorded and released in December, 2011, by Connecticut indie-punk rock bands Two Humans and Fung Wah Bus.

Recording

Two Humans recorded the music for Songs for Cats in the basement of friend Craig Mills in Wethersfield, Connecticut. The vocals for Two Humans were recorded at Fung Wah Bus bassist Kevin O’Donnell’s house in East Windsor, Connecticut. Fung Wah Bus recorded their tracks entirely at O’Donnell’s.

Packaging

Physical copies were made by hand using blank tapes and a duplicating tape deck. O’Donnell hand drew the album art for the recordings.

Release

In December, 2011, the recordings were released on tape and posted on the internet though sites like Facebook and Bandcamp.

Musicians

Two Humans:

Justin Dubree

Lucas Borgstedt

Jason Rule

Fung Wah Bus:

Kevin O’Donnell

Will Pratt

Jason Rule 

Guest Musician- Mike Hein

Track Listing

Side A (Fung Wah Bus):

David Bowie’s Ass Looks Better Than My Face     03:13

My Love Turned Pt. 2     03:34

Eggplant     03:14

Riverbed     03:03

Side B (Two Humans)

Sabbatical (College Song)     03:40

Lonely Tunez     03:32

Bump Yer Jones     04:28

Yesterday’s Pajamas; Today’s Bedsheets     04:39

See Also

The Red Rash Collective

The Helveticas

References

http://twohumansband.tumblr.com/

http://twohumans.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-Humans/192128584149698

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fung-Wah-Bus/101008088397

http://fungwahbus.bandcamp.com/

http://redrashcollective.tumblr.com/bands

http://nevermindtheposers.com/tag/two-humans/

http://www.last.fm/music/%C2%BFFung+Wah+Bus%3F/+wiki/diff?&a=13&b=14

http://www.last.fm/music/Two+Humans

http://f0.bcbits.com/z/29/36/2936578129-1.jpg

Dubree, Justin. (2012, February 8). Email Interview.

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How To Catch A Mouse

How To Catch A Mouse:


1) Sit quietly in a dark, hidden place and wait. Choose wisely. Places with previous mouse sightings are ideal. You may have to sit for hours, so choose a spot you like.


2) Keep your ears open. Rotate them as needed to decipher any sounds. Be sure not to make any sudden movements. The only part of your body that should be moving is your ears and your head. As difficult as it is, try not to flick your tail. Such movements will alert rodents to your presence.


3) When you hear the familiar sound of a rodent—the high-pitched squeaking; the short, repetitive scratching; and the scurrying of tiny feet—cock your ears and gather the sounds. Use this information to determine where the rodent is located and what type of surface he is walking upon. This information will allow you to locate him quickly.


4) Slowly stand up and turn toward the sound. Stop and listen. Do you still hear him? If so, creep quietly in his direction. Hide behind available objects. Surprise is your best tactic. Be sure to place each paw gently to the ground as you approach. Remember: if you can hear the pitter patter of his feet, he can hear yours.


5) Crouch as close to the rodent as possible while still securing an object to hide behind. Peer around the object to observe your prey. Can you see him? Does he see you? Observe your surroundings. Try to find a place where you think you can corner him. For example, if you chase him into a flower pot or under a set of stairs, his routes of escape will be limited. Keep this chosen location in mind.


6) If he does not see you, creep quietly toward him. Keep your body low to the ground and your steps long and silent. If you can snatch him up when he least expects it, you will have your prize. When you are close enough for an attack, lower your torso to the floor with your paws and elbows to the floor, and raise your hind end in the air. Wriggle your hindquarters back and forth a few times to get a good footing and then POUNCE. Did you catch your prey?


7) If he notices you prior to your attack and attempts to flee, you will need to chase him into the location you previously chose in Step 4.  Be sure to position your body such that he views your chosen location as the best route of escape. You may need to make quick, sudden movements to spook him into running toward the appropriate spot. Hopping and meowing loudly are completely appropriate.


8) Once you’ve got him in your chosen spot, capture is inevitable. You can play with your prey if you are certain that he cannot escape again. Use your paws and claws to capture him, and your teeth to do the deed. Dinner!

>^..^<

Playing Devil's Advocate: On Stray Cats

The Assignment: Play the Devil’s advocate in your chosen niche. Find a provocative stance or an unexpected thesis by writing about and exploring a contentious or confusing issue and then make your argument. Try picking an argument you normally feel strongly about and take the other side.

--

You hear them at night: feral and stray cats calling to their mates or brawling in the alley ways. They are a huge nuisance in the United States, especially in cities. Wherever there is a steady food source, the cats will survive: near homes, near restaurants, and anywhere with a population of rodents or birds.

With a steady food supply, these cats procreate rapidly. The gestational period for a feline is two months, and she usually has three to six kittens in each litter. A female cat can become pregnant immediately after giving birth. She will often have several litters per year.

Her kittens become sexually mature at five to six months of age. Then they procreate. The cycle continues. Before long, there are hundreds of inbred cats infesting the neighborhood.

Aside from the noise, these cats—who are essentially wild animals due to lack of human socialization—carry disease. They are magnets for fleas and mites, and can spread parasites, such as giardia, to humans.

Although many groups advocate trap, neuter, and release programs, these programs do not remove the problem. It is true that a population of neutered cats will not grow as rapidly as an intact population, but they still infest the same areas. They are still a major problem for the residents and businesspersons who must share their space with these cats.

For this reason, it sometimes becomes necessary to humanely euthanize an entire population of cats. Once the colony has been eradicated, it’s important to remove all food sources. If residents and businesses continue to leave unsecured dumpsters or provide seed to local birds, another stray colony will move in to the same location.

Once the cats and food sources are removed from a particular area, the residents and businesses may resume normal activity.

The Chronicles of Zero: Web Presence

If I were to launch The Chronicles of Zero to create an actual web presence, I’d want to expand his reach. (I certainly would want searchable text!) Let’s pretend that Zero’s story gained national attention. How would his “resume” appear in a Google search? Here is a draft.

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