07/08/09

Socks’ Ashes Scattered at Governor’s Mansion
Karen Nichols

The ashes of former first cat, Socks Clinton, have been scattered in the rose garden at the Governor’s Mansion (see photo, below right) in Arkansas. The ceremony was attended by Linda Dixon of the Clinton Presidential Library and first lady Ginger Beebe, who read a poem she wrote in honor the famous tuxie.

On a porch just outside the kitchen, a plaque was erected to honor Socks, the Clinton’s family cat. The plaque notes that Socks was first cat of Arkansas from 1991 to 1993 and first cat of the United States from 1993 to 2001. “When (the Clintons) lived at the mansion that’s where Socks hung out, on the back porch there,” said Ron Maxwell, administrator of the mansion.

The Clintons adopted Socks when they were living at the Governor’s Mansion in 1991. Socks moved with the family to the White House when Bill Clinton was elected president. When the Clintons left the White House, Socks went to live with the Clinton’s secretary, Betty Currie, at her home in Maryland, a move that left many cat lovers furious with the Clintons.

Last year, Socks was diagnosed with cancer, and was euthanized on February 20th of this year. Reportedly, after Socks’ death, Betty Currie said she felt, “awful, awful, awful.”

The small urn in which the ashes were contained was later taken to the Clinton Presidential Library.

Maxwell said the ashes were scattered after a small ceremony attended by a few people, including Linda Dixon of the Clinton Presidential Library and first lady Ginger Beebe, who read a poem she wrote in honor the cat.


[LINK: NWA Online]

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01/15/09

Meet Sockington, Twitter Superstar
Karen Nichols

sockinton1.jpg

Hey evrybuddy, Skeezix here. If, like me, yer on Twitter and yer a cat, yoo are probly a follower of Sockington, hoo yesterday reeched a major milestone: 5000 followers! I was lukky enuf to be able to catch Sockington between naps and treets and tweets for an exkloosive Cat’s Meow interview:


SKEEZIX: Is it true yoo started owt life as a street urchin? How did yoo end up at yer current home?

SOCKINGTON: I AM TOTALLY STREET YO lost mom around a corner still not sure where NICE LADY WITH GLASSES PICKED ME UP later passed around like cookie THEN PILLOWS

SKEEZIX: How long have yoo been tweeting?

SOCKINGTON: SINCE 2004 but on twitter since june 2007

SKEEZIX: How’d yoo git others to rite yoo a theeme song? I’ve been waiting furever fur my own theeme song!

SOCKINGTON: SOCKS + BEG + FOLLOWERS + TIME + BEG + SOCKS = THEME note that only one person of thousands recorded actual song I DON’T KNOW IF 1:4500 RATIO IS ALL THAT HOT but therefore get 4500 followers song will follow P.S. THANKS JEN

SKEEZIX: How does one become a member of the Socks Army? Is it enuf to follow yoo on Twitter, or do yoo have to pay dooz and git initiated?

SOCKINGTON: TOTALLY OPEN not picky WHY KICK PEOPLE OUT THEY HAVE FOOD

SKEEZIX: Ware do yoo see yer innernet fame taking yoo?

SOCKINGTON: KITCHEN

sockinton3.jpg

SKEEZIX: How are you planning to sellubrate yer 5000-follower milestone?

SOCKINGTON: TO BE HONEST we can be honest with each other I AM COMPLETELY AMAZED AT THIS if one hundred followers petted me every day IT WOULD TAKE A COUPLE MONTHS OF PETTING TO GET THEM ALL that’s beyond cat math technology BUT FOR NOW I BELIEVE IT WILL END UP BEING EXPRESSED IN A CELEBRATORY NAP

SKEEZIX: Do yoo sell Sockington swag? Ware can I buy my armband?

SOCKINGTON: ARMBANDS FORTHCOMING ACCORDING TO PENNY going to be awesome in a GET IT OFF ME sort of way REMEMBER www.sockington.org FOR ALL SOCKINGTON NEEDS penny likes the attention DID I MENTION PENNY BEFORE oh well

SKEEZIX: Whut an honor to be a finulist in the Humor Category for the Shorty Awards! What did yoo do win yoo lernd yoo were a finulist? If twitterers want to vote for yoo, what do they need to do?

SOCKINGTON: BEAR IN MIND THIS THING IS A COMPLETE FARCE and I am not 100 percent happy being followed by darth vader DUDE IS SCARY PEOPLE but go to sockington.org for voting directions if you want EITHER WAY I APPRECIATE THE LOVE

SKEEZIX: Whut’s yer favorite treet?

SOCKINGTON: GREENIES ARE LIKE CATNIP wait CATNIP IS LIKE GREENIES agggggg JUST LOOK IF I CAN GET IT INTO MY MOUTH IT IS AN AUTOMATIC WIN also some users sent me stuff in the mail and COME ON HOW GREAT IS THAT I would lick them if I could

sockinton2.jpg

SKEEZIX: For thoze of us on Twitter hoo are stagnating at a pathetic few hundred followers, do yoo have any werds of encouragement, or tips on ratcheting up owr follower count?

SOCKINGTON: BE YOURSELF also remember FOLLOWERS ARE NOT FOOD lost a few that way GOOD LUCK ADDITIONAL TWEETING CAT FRIENDS besides HUNDREDS OF FOLLOWERS IS VERY AWESOME make them send pets

ALSO litterbox jokes never get old

SKEEZIX: Thanks, Socks, fur taking the time away frum yer tweeting to talk to me. Readers, if yer one of the few cats left in the universe that duzn’t follow Sockington on Twitter, chek him out!



In the meentime, anybuddy know any good litterbox jokes I could use to get a few thowsand more followers??? Tweet me: @skeezixthecat.

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12/27/08

Marty the Cat Mans the Worst Weather Spot in U.S.
Karen Nichols

When the weather gets cold like it is right now, we spend an exciting evening checking out the weather at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, which claims to have the world’s worst weather.* (Today’s peak gust was 128.5 mph, and after bottoming out a 3 degrees, current temp is a balmy 15 degrees F [- 7 wind chill]). Mt Washington is home to hard-working Marty (right), the observatory’s official mascot. Formerly a resident of the Conway Area Humane Society, two-year-old Marty assumed the post earlier this year, after winning 53% of the popular vote in a runoff against two other worthy catestants.

Marty’s predecessor was Nin (pictured below), a popular mascot who retired at the age of 18 after serving about a dozen cold and windy years at the observatory.





Bundle up, Marty, and stay warm!

*It is the combination of extreme cold, wet, high winds, icing conditions and low visibility consistently found atop Mount Washington which earn it the title “Home of the World’s Worst Weather”. As William L. Putnam states in The Worst Weather on Earth, “There may be worse weather, from time to time, at some forbidding place on Planet Earth, but it has yet to be reliably recorded.” Despite its relatively low elevation (6,288′) Mount Washington is located at the confluence of three major storm tracks, and being the highest point in New England, it generally takes the brunt of passing storms. The steepness of the slopes, combined with the north/south orientation of the range, cause the winds to accelerate dramatically as they rise up from the valleys. The highest recorded windspeed at Mt Washington was 232 mph, recorded on April 12, 1934. — SOURCE: mountwashington.org.

[PHOTO SOURCE: Marty's photo: mountwashington.org; Nin's photo: Boston.com]
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