Cat Myths Debunked
Cats can also be a person’s best friend! Dogs aren’t the only ones capable of gives us love and companionship. There are so many stereotypes about cats. Below you’ll find an infographic on the subject and how they’re untrue.
First Watch
First Watch Café is open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A “first watch” is a nautical term for the first shift of the day, and since they only serve breakfast, brunch, and lunch, that’s where they got the name for the restaurant. They don’t offer catering, but the website invites you to ask the general manager of your location about those needs if you have them. First Watch doesn’t allow you to make reservations in a traditional sense, but most places will let you check wait times get on the waitlist before you arrive through the First Watch App.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in their Kennesaw location. The parking lot was almost full when I arrived, so I was wary of how long the wait would be, but I was seated within 15 minutes. My waitress was there immediately to ask what I wanted to drink. All of the staff that I could see had masks on, and when the customers weren’t eating, they wore theirs as well. The fact that they enforce masks was a point in their favor in my book! Mostly since their customers wore them. I’ve been in restaurants packed in like sardines without a cover in sight. The décor was modern rustic, and the tables were spaced a reasonable distance apart. I don’t know if it was always like that, or if they rearranged after Covid, but it was appreciated. The flooring is a vinyl plank product from Karndean. According to their website, it’s custom-made for their cafés only and isn’t available for retail.
The menu was vegetarian friendly with vegan and gluten free options. I always check for gluten free options when I’m at a restaurant, out of habit, because my sister is allergic. I like that First Watch made their menu with their customers’ needs in mind. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, which had two poached cage-free eggs atop toasted ciabatta with smoked ham, and a side of seasoned potatoes. My waitress gave me a little cup of salt and pepper packets, which I used for the Eggs Benedict. Cutting into it caused the yolk to run and soak the bread. I’ve always loved my eggs that way, and this was no exception. It was delicious, and I’ll get it again. The seasoned potatoes were amazing as well, and I was given ketchup in a small silver cup. I usually prefer ranch, but that was good as well.
First Watch Café is very involved in all of the communities where they operate. You can even fill out a form on the Contact Us page if you have a cause you’d like for them to donate to. They’ve also set goals to achieve by 2024 for animal welfare, which include the following:
- Using broiler breeds approved by Global Animal Partnership (GAP) as having higher welfare outcomes;
- Providing birds more space and stocking density in barns in accordance with GAP Standards;
- Enhancing the birds’ living environments, including improved litter, lighting, and enrichment, per GAP standards;
- Ensuring birds are rendered unconscious using multi-step controlled atmospheric stunning.
Overall, I give them 5 out of 5 stars for their delicious food, positive atmosphere, and good service. One of those stars is for their involvement in the community and their efforts to accommodate allergies and diets in their menu.
When Writing Becomes Content
When Writing Becomes Content, Lisa Dush: Full Article.
Does writing becoming content suggest growth? Or perhaps writing has transitioned into content over time. In this article, Lisa Dush defines content, while respecting the different forms it comes in, regarding all different types of writing professions. She also goes into detail about the four characteristics of content: conditional, computable, networked, and commodified.
In regards to content being computable,
“as Pullman and Gu describe, content exists as digital assets that are full of potential, characterized not by being finished or published, but rather by their availability for repurposing, mining, and other future uses.”
(Dush, Pg.176)
They believe content is merely data you are accessing on a computer. While some people might think that the writer must control the content, in order to make it adaptable to the platform, Dush argues that we have little control over which direction the content takes us. I agree with that, as a writer I know inspiration can take your work to places you didn’t plan for it to go, but that’s not a bad thing. Words flow and you start making connections you didn’t previously see. It’s a part of being a writer. The conditional and computable aspects of writing go hand in hand with the content being networked. There can be all sorts of networks, person and work related. What Dush means by “content will be commodified,” is the value it has when it a work of writing is in circulation.
People may think of writing as “idiosyncratic” while content is “standardized” as if they are opposite ends of a spectrum. “Might content, with its machines and its standardization, simply threaten the idiosyncratic and human work of writing?” (PG. 182) Can they not work together? Even in works of fiction, you can find valuable content. You can see things from other people’s perspectives, or even gain an understanding about a period in history in a way that’s more engaging. Yes, of course, case and research studies are valuable as well, but I have found that you can learn just as much from a well written work of fiction.
Dush does an amazing job articulation her point, and quotes are either in a different font all together or in bold so they stand out. However, one quote she uses from Johnson-Eilola about “marketable chunks” suggests that pulling material from other sources takes away form the original work. For example, “chapters extracted from a book for republication in a “permissions-paid” coursepack, or individual songs sold in isolation from the albums on which they originally appeared.” (PG.178) She believes it becomes less about communicating useful information, and instead becomes something to generate clicks and retweets. She contradicts herself by using quotes from other sources throughout her entire article to enhance her point, just like she criticized others for doing. Does that mean Dush is only doing so to “generate likes and retweets.” I don’t think so. I believe that quoting others is good to do in your work, if used sparingly and given proper credit. She clearly does as well, as you can see by all the quotes in her article.
