Twitter Turns 10 On March 21st! What Was YOUR #FirstTweet !?

While watching the Today Show yesterday morning I learned that Twitter is turning 10!!!!!!  (on March 21st).

Back in  2009, I was encouraged by many to join Twitter which I fought tooth and nail! (I normally embrace change, but I am often slow to jump on the bandwagon pertaining to certain issues, it often takes much prodding for me to try a new social media platform.  I fought Instagram tooth and nail too until I finally gave in. I still have issues with it lol.)

I finally relented.  I remember for MONTHS feeling as if  I would never have any followers. I thought Twitter was ridiculous, now 6577 followers later on Cody's Twitter handle, and almost 3000 on Dakota's, (Dakota didn't join Twitter until 2011),  I am singing tweeting a different tune.

While many sing the praises of Facebook, I have made many of my most lucrative, important, (and more importantly, ENDURING), connections/relationships, on Twitter. (I find Facebook to be more of a "look at me, like me" forum which I often view with disdain.)

Wonder What Your First Tweet Was?

I did!! Contrary to what Cher says, you CAN "turn back time", you can see YOUR first tweet!!  I am sooo embarrassed that my first Tweet was to Ellen DeGeneres (whom I never tagged because I had no clue as to how!) And here it is!!

Is that hilarious or what?

What struck me as strange though, was I could have sworn I didn't join Twitter until AFTER I began blogging. I began blogging in October of 2009, and the date of my first tweet is March 2009. If I didn't have a blog, I am thinking my first user name had to have been different (I can't remember), because "Cat Chat" didn't exist. Regardless, I cracked up laughing when I found out my first tweet was to Ellen. I must have been watching her show that day, and she probably encouraged people to join Twitter and follow her. I am betting that is what it was.

Back in the "old" days, I was "live" on Twitter much more than I am now. I share my posts and the posts of others, I am big on tweeting quotes, photos of food and other things that strike my fancy. I tend to not do what others preach that we do, "just tweeting pet information" since my handle is pet related. I function the same with Pinterest, and have had success NOT doing things the way we are "supposed"  to.

I enjoy tweeting things that are a reflection of my diverse interests, I'm not one-dimensional, and just tweeting about pets or just pinning pets would pigeon-hole me. I love having followers that aren't necessarily actively involved in the pet world. By tweeting/pinning things that reflect all of my interests, I have found that many who end up following me, might have been interested by a tweet or a pin that wasn't pet related, and they end up having a cat or a dog (or whatever). It turns out being a "win-win."  When I follow people on Twitter I am intrigued by those who tweet a variety of topics,  and I think that many feel the same when deciding whom to follow.

It is mind-boggling to me that ten years have passed so quickly, will Twitter enjoy another ten years? It remains to be seen.  I do know that I myself and many others owe Twitter a world of THANKS!! Keep on Tweetin' on!!!!!


ARE YOU ON TWITTER? List your Twitter name in the comments so myself and others can be sure we are following you!

Friday the 13th Film Flub:The Today Show helping to perpetuate the myth that black cats are bad luck?

Hi Guys and Happy Friday The 13th!

I wasn't going to blog at all today, because I am not feeling well, (bladder infection I think), but I have been unable to shake what I can't believe  I saw on The Today Show this morning.

First, allow me to say I LOVE The Today Show, (or did, until today). I watch it every morning and have beed a loyal viewer for well over twenty years.

This morning they featured an animal wildlife expert, Corbin Maxey, on their "Call of the Wild" segment who was sharing  with hosts Willie Geist and Tamron Hall  animals for Friday The 13th which supposedly bring either "good" or "bad" luck.

The part that upset me is near the end of the video when a black cat was brought out (the last animal to be brought out). Maxey  did mention that it is a "myth" that the ravens who were featured just BEFORE the black cat was brought out were bad luck, but when discussing the black cat and mentioning that it is supposedly bad luck when they cross your path,  he never stressed the fact that people should NOT believe the myth, and that the myth needs to end for the SAFETY of black cats everywhere.

To make matters worse, Tamron Hall visibly flinches when the cat is brought out, and mentions her "fear of cats", until she discovered that it was a domestic house cat.

Am I being overly sensitive to the plight of black cats?

Watch the video yourself and tell me:

1) Does it bother you the way it bothered me?
2) Or....do you think they merely ran out of time and never got around to saying that black cats are just as lovable as cats of EVERY color and do NOT bring bad luck.

I am disappointed and surprised that The Today Show would help to perpetuate that myth, especially as involved as they are with animal rescue segments.

Wish they would make sure to mention on a later show that black cats are indeed NOT unlucky. Statistics show that black cats are less likely to be adopted and are often abused. Hope the Today Show does a special segment about black cats on Black Cat Appreciation Day.

If the video is not displaying on the blog, click here to watch

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Victims of Sandy...YOU KNOW You want to help, but how?

Hi every kitty, it's  Cody and I'm here to tell you how!  I just popped in because I know many of you are sad, as I am,  about the devastation that the monstrous storm Sandy caused to the East Coast and I know that there are TONS of you out there who want to help!

 The New York and  New Jersey area has a special place in Mom's heart because her parents were from Brooklyn, and Mom was born on Long Island. Mom still has cousins that live in New York and many blogging friends in the area.

My Mom and I donated to the Humane Society, the Red Cross and  to the
 Jewish Federation Sandy Relief Fund in N.J. and YOU can help too!

There are organizations EVERYWHERE with lists of where and how you can help. Before you donate be sure you are donating to a reputable organization!

One place to find a list is:

PETFINDER

Also from PetFinder:
Shelters In Need And How You Can Help click here
Daily Updates click here



And...I just heard this morning on THE TODAY SHOW that there is going to be a huge benefit concert FRIDAY NIGHT AT 8PM ET ON NBC....It is called
  "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together" It will feature New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, as well as artists such as,  Sting, Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel and many others! It will be hosted by Today's Matt Lauer,  Brian Williams and Jimmy Fallon will make appearances as well.

How ironic or prophetic that Bruce Springsteen recorded this song over 30 years ago?

Money collected from the benefit will be donated to the

  American Red Cross relief efforts

To find out how you can watch the concert, click here

ALSO: Have YOU joined the Blogger Disaster Response Network? From BlogPaws: "The Blogger Disaster Response Network is the first of its kind. Members of this voluntary organization will be the first to be notified of a global disaster response effort through World Vets, and given all the information they need to help spread the word about how people can help."

Please don't think that something like this only happens to someone else. Sadly, it can happen to any of us. Every $1 helps!

Love, Cody