subway, i hardly knew yee...

As of late, I have "liked" quite a few pages on facebook regarding American Staffordshire & American Pit Bull Terriers.  Yes, Caye is an AmStaff (and an adorable one at that as evidenced below).

Many of these sites focus on the fostering and rescuing of these "bully breeds".  Mostly, they share success stories.  I  admire all those who dedicate their lives to foster and/or find "forever homes" for this breed - and for any dog for that matter.  If I could, I would take every single one of those pups home with me.  However, there are also stories about dogs being euthanized, etc. for one reason or another (usually no one to take them in).  After reading those stories, I get teary-eyed (at work, no less).  My co-workers now think I have really bad allergies this year.

And once in a while, the topics of BSL - Breed Specific Legislation (which is evil - "punish the deed not the breed") and Michael Vick resurfaces.  This time it was the latter.  On Sunday at the BET Awards, Vick was awarded the Subway Sportsman of the Year award.

I'm sure you have at least heard about Michael Vick and his dogfighting ring - which consisted of American Pitbull Terriers (APBTs).  If not, you can read this article to get up to speed.

This has prompted a petition entitled:  Say No To Subway.

Yes, I like Subway.  I love my dog.  And Jimmy John's will suffice.  If you feel so inclined you can sign the petition here.

I did.  I also felt compelled to share my comment along with my signature:

As an owner of an American Staffordshire/American Pit Bull Terrier, I cannot believe anyone would give a "sportsman" award to someone who committed such heinous acts against animals.  Yes, Vick had a great year athletically - he served his time and should be able to continue his career.  However, the term "sportsman" has come to be defined as more than athletic prowess.  It also pertains to conduct, attitude and overall good character on AND off the friend including fair play and courtesy – none of which Vick displayed off the field whilst funding (and other involvement) Bad Newz Kennels.  

I was a frequent Subway patron.  However,  I cannot support a company who bestows an honor upon an individual who does not emulate the traits of “sportsmanship”.

I do realize not everyone feels the same way about AmStaffs/APBTs as I do.  However, after meeting and interacting with Cayenne, most people tend to think of him as a happy, friendly, well-behaved dog and are shocked that is indeed an AmStaffs/APBT (thank you negative media coverage).  More importantly, most at least consider the fact that all "bully breed" dogs are not evil.  

Although it is not (and never was) my intent with him - Caye is indeed a great ambassador for his breed.  But really...how can you not love this guy?

i'm not ignoring you, i swear

I'm beginning to feel like I am neglecting this blog.  

Truth is, I usually blog when something royally pisses me off (i.e. Wisconsin's dipshit governor - whom I just flick off whenever I hear or see him on various media) or when I'm trying to work out a problem/issue.  I guess it's a good thing that I'm lacking things to write about.  And quite frankly, I'd rather deal with an absence of a blog entry than the apparent alternative.  

(Note: for those of you who are shocked that I have nothing much to say - believe me, it's throwing me for a loop too.)

As a result, I've channeled that energy into work (as in MJ Care, SE Wisconsin Arts Guild and rjl creative), researching the latest design and social media trends and reading for fun (ok, I consider reading about sociology and social constructs fun...the sociology major rears its ugly head) - whilst attempting to maintain some semblance of an exercise routine and social life.  I probably should get back into painting and/or drawing at some point, but since the weather is nice those might be relegated to fall/winter pursuits.

Oh, I've also been playing with my new iPhone.  I could also ramble on about how much I love it, but that would probably bore you to death....

creative geek sheek

I often say "I revel in my creative geekiness".  Over the past few weeks, this couldn't be further from the truth.

It started with a phone call from my dear friend Dan - from the ICU at Froedtert.  Apparently, a pulmonary embolism will land you in ICU.  Yes, it freaked me out.   However, he asked me to essentially run Southeastern Wisconsin Arts Guild (SWAG) for the week he was in ICU.  And in the same (faint) breath, he promoted me to SWAG Vice President.  (note:  I personally never thought I'd be a vice president of anything).  In that one week, I learned quite a bit more about social media and running this little arts & culture information we've got going.  

The good news:  I was able to take what I have learned and apply it to MJ Care's social media sites, which I created and currently maintain.  Yes, I am becoming a little guru in this area.  And no, I'm not going to bombard you with the links.  The better news:  Dan is recovering at home and slowly getting back to work. 

I also created professional  Twitter account:  @rjl_creative.  I swear, I am not a tweet-aholic.  Why a new account, you ask?  The professional account shows potential freelance employers will see I keep abreast on issues and trends in the marketing/communications industry.  My original @beckerbean account follows many a political & social sites (read: Democratic Party & Hash House Harriers).  While I don't care if my friends know my views on politics or that I hash (because chances are, they already do), any professional contacts or fellow marketing communications folks don't need to know. Additionally, they don't need to know my random brain spew.  On the flip side, friends who don't give a crap about social media, design, marketing, etc. don't have to read about it (although I think you should anyway, even if it's just to humor me).  But really, it was to separate the professional and the personal.  

I also updated my resume to add the SWAG position and to match my website (news on that in a teeny bit).  However, I learned I really shouldn't do that at work.  Keith (my wonderful boss) saw me working on it Friday and this morning, he asked me point blank if I was looking for another job.  I had to reassure him that I was just adding the part-time SWAG position.  Apparently, he doesn't want to lose me as an employee - and I really didn't mean to freak the guy out.  Once he calmed down, he did say the design itself was "striking".  I will say, however, it is nice to be needed and appreciated. 

But the biggest news is that my rjlcreative.com site is complete!!!  I will admit that this will always be a work in progress, but all the links are up (and functioning) and it includes all the facets of what I do.  I still need to brush up on HTML/CSS, but I think I did pretty well with my trial-by-fire skills.  Now I just need to get out there and get some freelance jobs.

So if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm likely immersed in a graphic design or a social media site - or perhaps both.  But definitely reveling in my creative geekiness.