Creative Cats: Arts, Entertainment, and Leisure

Arts

In Mark Zusack’s I Am the Messenger, 19 year-old taxi driver, Ed Kennedy is an average, well-intentioned person. His mediocrity and benevolence are why it is both understandable but odd, Ed starts receiving playing cards in the mail that ask him to do complete tasks that are intended to better the lives of other people, but he has no clue who is orchestrating this entire scheme. From the author of coming-of-age classic, The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger is a thought-provoking, mystery novel about how an average person can make a legitimate difference in the world.

The book opens with the main character, Ed, and his three very sarcastic friends in a bank while it is being held up by a gunman. The opening scene shows the comedic side of this novel as well. The bank robber turns to one of Ed’s friends and asks for the keys to his car. The bank robber doesn’t know the car is unfortunately very junky and not a very good getaway car. WhileAlso while leaving the bank robber is distracted by Ed’s friend’s sarcastic comments and leaves his gun behind as he hurries to run out to the car. With a random act of valor, Ed picks up the gun and runs outside and stops the bank robber who struggles to even start his friend’s car. After this, he receives the playing card in the mail from a mysterious sender. It is an ace of diamonds with three addresses written on it. Throughout the book, he gets three of the other aces all with clues even more unclear than the last.

The charming secondary characters are arguably what gives the book its appeal. Ed may be an average guy, but all of his friends are extremely intriguing characters--whether it be his mother that calls him curse words as terms of endearment, his sarcastic friends, or the interesting people from all walks of life he meets throughout the novel. All of his friends have interesting subplots as well that add a depth to the book. His silly best friend, Marvin that no one takes seriously found out that he's ahe´s a father. Ed is in love with his friend, Audrey. His friend, Ritchie is trying to figure out what he is doing with his life, and all of his friends navigate these issues with humour and tenderness.

I Am the Messenger is a novel both enticing for the mystery aspect, the interesting lives of the characters the protagonist, Ed, helps, and the humorously humour and bittersweet scenes found in between. The minor characters make the book both funny and endearing--whether it be Ed’s foul-mouthed mother, his sarcastic friends, or the people he helps whose lives are far different than his.

Riot Grrrl is an underground punk-rock movement that integrated itself into the punk scene around the early nineties. It is heavily based on feminist, anti-racist, and generally progressive ideologies. These ideologies are hard to miss with furious lyrics and potent titles that are vehemently displayed at intense live shows.

Bikini Kill is commonly credited as one of the original girl bands to found Riot Grrrl. They formed in 1990, disbanded in 1997, and eventually reunited in 2019 for a reunion tour, kickstarting the small revival of the movement.

“Sleater-Kinney”, “Bratmobile”, “Team Dresch”, and “Le Tigre” were also extremely influential bands in the movement.

Punk has always been political, but this era in American music history was an intensified version of typical punk. These artists were inspired by their more subtle predecessors such as bands like “Babes in Toyland” and “Hole”. They started discussing very personal and taboo topics that women often dealt with through their music.

“I’m so sorry if I’m alienating you / Your whole f*****g culture alienates me / I can not scream from pain down here on my knees / I’m so sorry that I think!” sings Bikini Kill in White Boy.

These types of compelling lyrics empowered young women to stand up to men who were belittling or abusing their power over them.

In particular, this song refutes the common argument that feminism is anti-men by highlighting how the entirety of modern society alienates women, therefore, showing how criticizing sexism against women is not sexist against men.

This empowerment was crucial in a time when feminism was uncommon and frowned upon and when men still had a substantial amount of societal control over women. Despite men still having power over women, this genre of music encouraged women to fight against the systems that promote male-dominance and has changed the history of feminism forever.

Sources:

www.nypl.org

www.nytimes.com

Sahara Moon is a former Pinelands student and is involved in the performing arts, specifically independent music. Before she graduated, Moon often performed at open mics, local festivities, and would have performances with her sister, Zinnia, as well.

“I felt it was important for me to be involved with music at school which I was then able to apply my knowledge when performing on stage,” she says.

Before lockdown for Covid-19 began last March, Moon was working on several performances with other artists such as Robert Cray Band and Tower of Power as well as a performance for the Mayday Music Festival. However, once quarantine began and shows had to stop, she did face some difficulty as she was preparing for her spring and summer schedules. Although she could no longer hold performances in-person, she was able to find an alternate option by creating Facebook live streams called “Live From The Living Room.”

“These performances gave my followers something to look forward to each week, and I found a lot of gratitude in knowing that I was providing some form of healing for those who needed it most,” Moon explains.

In addition to the livestreams, Moon has also teamed up with WHYY House Concert Series in which they broadcasted her performance of “Beauty In A Rose” on PBS. This performance along with “Live From The Living Room” helped her interact with her audience virtually.

On November 12th last year, Moon released her latest EP titled “Worthy” on all streaming and digital platforms. After that, she does not have any winter plans, as she is currently taking a break from performing, but she is hoping to resume her schedules in spring of this year.

Sahara Moon “Beauty In A Rose” music video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtrP3sMBbg4

Entertainment

Going to movie theaters has been something that generations have looked forward to either as a family outing or as a fun first date for new couples. The excitement of going to buy the buttery popcorn and fun sweets, walking into the theater and seeing the huge screen, and or the rush of seeing a new movie as soon as it hits the theaters is a feeling that some people cherish for the rest of their lives. Since new age technology comes out everyday, it was only a matter of time until people wanted to enjoy the qualities of seeing a new movie from the comforts of their homes. With the global pandemic which began in March of last year, the need for social distancing, and the need for government closers, this idea came much sooner than expected.

Disney was one of the very first production companies to introduce streaming new released movies on their platform, Disney Plus, instead of in a theater. The first movie they released was the long awaited live action Mulan on September 4, 2020. Disney made the cost of watching this movie $29.99, which was shocking to most subscribers who were already paying $6.99 for their monthly subscription or $69.99 for the year. Disney saw how negatively their viewers reacted to the unnecessary upcharge, and fixed their mistake with their future releases. Since then, they have released movies like Soul, Hamilton Live and other films that are absolutely free to their existing and new subscribers.

After Disney made the creative decision and saw amazing success, Warner Brothers announced on December 3, 2020 that they would start releasing their movies onto the streaming platform HBO Max for a single month free of charge for their current and new subscribers. After the month, the movies are taken off the platform but would still be available to watch in theaters. Warner Brothers made the push for this to start in the year 2021, and some of the anticipated movies include Matrix 4, Tom and Jerry, Space Jam 2, and Dune.

For both production companies and streaming services, this plan is an optimal opportunity to make money as well as retain audience members. The production companies can still release their movies on schedule and make amazing profits. The streaming services have benefits as well. Subscriptions for the partnering streaming services will sky rocket as people desire to watch these new movies, and thus, they will bring in more gain. This technological advancement seems to be profitable for all parties, except movie theaters. When the pandemic became a real problem in March, all movie theaters closed immediately and most have yet to open back up to full capacity. Some could not open back up because of bankruptcy, and others are not equipped to handle the pandemic restrictions such as social distancing and proper sanitization. Though Warner Brothers and Disney stated that they plan to release their future movies in theaters after a period of time, it is much easier and cost effective for viewers to pay the subscription fee and watch from home. Like the drive-in movie experience, the in house movie theater familiarity that generations have treasured for so long may be becoming obsolete.

Sources:

• 'The game-changing moment': In unprecedented move, Warner Bros. to release all 2021 movies to HBO Max, theaters on same days

• HBO Max Warner Brothers 2021 Release Schedule: ‘Matrix 4,’ ‘Tom and Jerry,’ ‘Space Jam 2,’ ‘Dune’ Release Dates

• Mulan to release on Disney Plus, but there’s a catch

• Here Are the 2020 Movies Streaming Online Early Due to the Coronavirus

In the past years, media has become more diverse. Those who were once significantly under-represented can now see people like them in movies, TV shows, books, video games, musicals, and more. However, representation can sometimes do more harm than good for a community of people when those people aren’t represented correctly.

While the representation of autism in the media isn’t necessarily bad, it definitely could be much better. The main issue with the representation of autism is that autistic characters are usually played and/or written by neurotypical people, who often base said characters on stereotypes. This can be harmful to autistic people, as neurotypicals will take one look at us and judge us based on the stereotypes they see in the media rather than trying to get to know us, or they will invalidate us because we aren’t like the autistic characters they saw on screens and read about in books. I personally can recall a time when I was told I wasn’t “actually autistic” because I’m verbal and as far as they knew, “autistic people can’t speak.” It really hurt me when they said that and I felt like a part of my identity was not valid because I didn’t fit a stereotype.

The most recent example of poor representation of autism is Sia’s movie, MUSIC. Many people with autism, such as myself, were upset about the depiction of autism in the trailer for the movie as the main character, Music, is based on a stereotype and is played by a neurotypical actress. In the movie, Music is portrayed as a girl who is unaware about the world around her and can’t do anything by herself, and the way other characters handled her meltdowns can actually be very harmful to a person with autism in real life. There are many more problems with MUSIC, and the previously mentioned examples are only just a few.

Some people may argue that the autistic community shouldn’t be upset about MUSIC and other poor portrayals of autism because autism is a spectrum and the autistic characters we see could be relatable to a real person with autism. While it is true that autism is indeed a spectrum and every autistic person has different experiences, only about two parts of the spectrum are shown in the media. Representation of autism is usually either Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory or Music from MUSIC, and there is not much in between. Another argument is that the autistic community should be grateful for the representation we get as there was a time where we got no representation at all, but how can we be grateful when we are still being under-represented and misrepresented?

In conclusion, there is still lots of room for improvement for representation of autism in the media. Many people are still misinformed about autism, and the best way to fix that issue to listen to autistic people. A movie or show about autism that may seem “inclusive” and “wholesome” to you may be written poorly and sometimes even dehumanizing for us. We may need help sometimes, but we are not always completely dependent on others. We may not always express emotions, but we are not emotionless. We may have brains that work differently than neurotypicals, but we are not broken. Though we may be different, we are still humans, and we just want to be treated like it.

Warning: the films in this article are so dope they may not be safe for children: parental advisory is advised.

I would like to paint you a picture: A white American man, mid-30s, Tom Selleck stache, and slight dad bod, somewhere in New York, Chicago, maybe Florida (whichever has the most crime at the time), loses a son, brother, sister, lover, or all the above to crimes, ninjas, and drugs. And now he must exact vengeance using the ancient art of the ninja (also maybe guns).

That is the plot to nearly every straight to VHS (and for a strange little moment, the laserdisc) 80’s action film to come out in the United States. For you to understand the films we’re about to discuss, you must understand the business they lived in.

In the movie industry, there are different types of ways that movies can come out of Hollywood. There are triple-A studios, like Warner Bros, that produce high-budget blockbusters and distribute them to theatres (or to HBO MAX depending on if you are in the bad timeline). Then there are small budget production companies, like Blumhouse Films, who make high budget looking movies on a relatively low budget.

Although the internet provides small-time directors opportunities to get their messages out, Hollywood, as a whole, is an elite and hard business to crack. However, in the 80s, there was a burgeoning underbelly of the filmmaking business. Small-time directors with near non-existent budgets were making films starring nobody you ever heard of. These films permeated ancient temples like Blockbuster Video, Family Video, and Larry’s Video Shack, and typically had the dopest covers usually involving ninjas, explosions, and MAD MAX looking cars.

It’s important to specify what selection of movies we’re talking about. We’re not talking about high-budget, cheesy garbage action movies; so no Die-Hard, no Karate Kid, no Stallone or Schwarzenegger films. The films we will talk about only ever wished to reach the cinematic height of those films (and their box office prowess).

During this time, movies that discussed societal issues or character studies were near nonexistent. Nearly all these films are all action, no brain entertainment. They are movie equivalents of McNuggets: don't ask, just eat.

These films rarely ask questions to the viewer or even have a message. If there is any message it’s: don’t let your daughter date a ninja. For one of my 3 examples of the films of these times, I will use 1987’s, so bad it’s a good classic - Ninja Hunter.

To give you a summary of all that happens in Ninja Hunter, I would need 1500 hours and sadly we don’t, so I’ll cut to the important bits. Ninja Hunter is about these Shaolin guys who must stop an evil Chinese warlord who sucks souls out of naked women to make his skin stronger and employs zombie men who spit acid and invisible ninjas that explode when hit center mass. This film delivers hand over fist action and never bores.

This movie is an example of one of the many ninja flicks of the time. These films were comprised of either Japanese films badly translated or American focused ninja flicks.

On the opposite side of the proverbial action coin, we have 1989’s Blood Fist. This film is the worst of the 7 Blood Fist films. After 2, they all become different, unconnected plots with the only connecting feature being the main star, 11-time professional kickboxing world champion Don “The Dragon” Wilson. It is pretty boring all things considered. It's just the dragon winning a tournament to avenge his brother. It secretes major BloodSport and Mortal Kombat vibes, honestly skippable with no unique cool feature except the dragon.

This film was an example of a trend of the film industry that sadly is more eternal than Betty White. Copycats in filmmaking can be accidentally or meticulously done. A high-profile example of this was when Armageddon and Deep Impact, both films with the same plot of an asteroid hitting the earth, hit screens at the same time. In this case, BloodFist tried to cash in on the success of BloodSport, an 80s classic with a karate tournament and signature splits. Sadly, BloodFist does not entertain nearly as much as its clear inspiration and just leaves a waft of wasted time akin to the deteriorating corpse of a skunk.

And to finish my trifecta of movies, I’ve selected a movie that is a one of a kind truly outstanding piece of media called Miami Connection.

Miami Connection has a story outside of the film that is just as amazing as the film itself. In the late ’80s, there was a man called Y.K. Kim who owned a karate dojo. Essentially this guy had so much sway in Miami that he could produce a low-budget action spectacular. He was able to run around at night shooting fight scenes without licenses and he taught all 50 dudes in the movie how to “do” karate. The film was sadly lost until a bad copy of it was found on eBay, remastered, and put on blu ray. Let me tell you, if we lost this movie, it would have been a shame. This movie has everything: ninjas, musical rock numbers, evil dudes selling drugs, and 30-year-olds pretending to be 17. Quite simply, this movie is amazing and you should watch it.

Miami Connection is an example of the exact type of movie I want to show you guys. In essence, spirit, and heart, the ’80s was the only decade in which movies like this could exist, and honestly, I miss these types of movies.

Not only did I just give you two good movie recommendations, hopefully, but perhaps the opportunity to look back at a simpler time when movies were all fun, all stupid, and all ninja.

Most people like to watch films, and I certainly do. I also really love to read. I have so many books in my room that I don’t have any more space on my shelf. So when Hollywood decides to make film adaptations of my favorite books, I’ll be watching. It will most likely be accurate or incredibly inaccurate, or usually nothing in between. A big detail that I pay attention to is the casting. So when I heard about the casting of my favorite superhero, Miss America Chavez, in one of Marvel Studios’ upcoming movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I was incredibly disappointed.

On December 10, 2020, The Walt Disney Company released a whole bunch of future projects. Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, listed a lot of new series and movies to continue the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I was so excited for all of them. Growing up, I read most of the Marvel comics and I instantly fell in love with the Young Avengers series. My favorite Young Avenger is Miss America Chavez and I was so excited to see her come on the big screen, except I was disappointed in the casting.

Feige announced that Miss America Chavez would be played by Xochitl Gomez, a 14-year-old light-skinned indigenous Mexican actress. The casting bothers me because Marvel’s authentic Miss America Chavez is an Afro-Latina Caribbean Puerto Rican. I’m not hating on the actress at all, although I still think it was wrong of her to audition because she must have had some knowledge about the role she was auditioning for.

In the Marvel comics, Miss America Chavez is a proud lesbian. So casting someone so young makes me think that Marvel is just going to erase or not acknowledge her sexuality which is wrong because that’s what makes Miss America Chavez, well Miss America Chavez. Miss America Chavez and her fellow Young Avenger teammate Kate Bishop have a flirty friendship, and Marvel cast 24-year-old actress Hailee Steinfield as Kate Bishop in the upcoming Hawkeye series on Disney+. A 14-year-old and a 24-year-old having a flirty relationship is disgusting and unacceptable.

In my opinion, Miss America Chavez could have been played by countless age-appropriate Afro-Latina actresses. The Afro-Latinx community deserves their well-deserved representation, along with countless people of color. Casting Xochitl as Miss America Chavez is not “representing” when they are literally misrepresenting the character herself.

Source:

Schedeen, Jesse. “Disney's Investor Day 2020: Every Movie and TV Show Announcement.” IGN, IGN, 16 Dec. 2020, www.ign.com/articles/disney-investor-day-2020-every-announcement-movies-tv-trailers-reveals-news.

Leisure

New Jersey is the home of many quirky landmarks with interesting tales including “The Chair House”, “Lucy the Elephant”, and “Buddy, the Bayville Dinosaur”. These beloved local figures have an impact on New Jersey residents who come in contact with them. These characters have many stories behind them, but no one really knows what their true stories are.

For generations, “Buddy the Bayville Dinosaur” has stood on his perch in front of the Heritage Square, located in Bayville. As time went on, and time was lost, locals would speculate when Buddy took his spot and for how long he'd been standing there. When Buddy was first introduced to the locals of Bayville, people believed that he was found inside a shed at a local gas station and someone decided to display him.

The truth is, that in 1925, Buddy was built to promote the movie, “The Lost World”. In 1935, he was purchased by Will Farrow who placed the 12 foot tall dinosaur in front of his taxidermist shop to bring him business.

Weird New Jersey reports, “Mr. Farrow was a smart man, knowing that a dinosaur in the modern world would attract the attention of anyone who happened by, and although he himself passed into extinction in 1977, every business since has successfully used the statue for the same purpose, and always when directions are asked the people are told to just look for the dinosaur.”

Another interesting landmark is “The Chair House”, located in West Creek.

For as long as anyone can remember, “The Chair House” has always brought the most attention to anyone who visited the small town in which it is located. Visitors have always been curious about the reason behind the chair on top of the roof. People created various tales over time.

The most notable tale is of a lonely wife of a sailor who placed the chair on the roof. She would sit there every day, patiently waiting for her husband to return from the sea.

The second most popular story is that during the Revolutionary War, the house was used as a spy post and soldiers would sit in the chair, looking for any sign of the enemy.

Unfortunately, none of these great explanations are true. In 1887, on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, the house was built over a standpipe (a form of plumbing aided with early fire companies) that brought water into the town. After a while though, the house was no longer needed and sat abandoned until 1940. That year, Swedish immigrant, Albert Lindholm, bought the house and relocated it to where it sits today. Lindholm rebuilt the house into the interesting shape it is today and nailed the chair to the roof as a harmless joke.

Lindholm owned a gas station across the street from his home and whenever someone would stop for gas and ask about the chair, Lindholm would tell different stories to gain more attention for business. His plan worked and overtime, curious families would stop at Lindholm’s gas station just to hear one of Lindholm’s stories about the chair.

“I’ve always had a love for “The Chair House”, growing up, my parents would take me to visit the landmark and would tell me the stories that had been produced over the years. Now that I am older and I have younger siblings, my parents still keep the tradition alive and my siblings love the house just as much as I do.” States a local resident of West Creek.

One last landmark on the list is “Lucy the Elephant”. In Margate City, stands the 65 foot tall elephant, named Lucy. Lucy has been around longer than any statue and landmark in our state, but like “The Chair House” and Buddy, no one knew where she came from.

One tale is that Lucy was bought by a businessman to attract tourists and promote his real estate business. Although that story is partially true, it is not Lucy’s real story.

Lucy was built in 1881, by a real estate speculator, James V. Lafferty. Lafferty built Lucy for business but also because he enjoyed making animal statues. Lucy is made out of almost one million planks of wood and 4 tons of bolts and nails. Once Lucy was finished, many visitors would travel from all over just to take a look at the “largest elephant in the world”.

Lucy has had many owners over the years. She was turned into a restaurant, a hotel, a business office, and even a tavern during the Prohibition Era, but was closed down. It wasn’t until a few years ago, that Lucy got a new owner who turned her into a mini museum that explains her story to anyone who steps inside. As of recent turn of events, Lucy is now an airbnb and anyone can camp inside her belly for one night at the price of $138.

These landmarks can be visited by anyone at any time, although to see Lucy, permission may need to be required.

Trying to become a vegan in a small town like ours can be difficult, especially when you’re the only wanna be vegan in your family. But I make it work, and I deal with all the vegan jokes my family has whenever they eat meat, and I’m eating plant-based meat. When I first decided to become vegan, I looked up some vegan recipes and tried several of them. My favorite recipe is a vegan chocolate chip cookie by a blogger named Ashley on Baker by Nature.

I was always a huge chocolate chip cookie fan. So when I tasted these vegan cookies and tasted the same as the traditional cookies, I was delighted.

One ingredient that I found a little odd, but turned out to be one of the best choices yet, was coconut oil. By using coconut oil instead of vegan butter, it gave the cookies an enjoyable taste and texture.

This recipe is in full detail, and in case you don’t like any of the original ingredients, Ashley offers some substitutions. She also offers some advice on how to fix sticky dough, where to find vegan chocolate chips, and how to bake these cookies.

I would recommend checking out this recipe. These cookies are delicious and it only takes 35 minutes to prep and bake. These cookies are thick and chewy so if you love those types of cookies, then try these out!

prep: 10 mins | cook: 10 mins | inactive: 15 mins | total: 35 mins

author bakerbynature

yield 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, solid but scoop-able

• 1 and 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup coconut milk (I like to use the thicker Thai variety, but any coconut milk will work)

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (be sure not to pack your flour)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups chocolate chips (use vegan chocolate chips if vegan), divided

• Flaky sea salt, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla, beating until well combined. Add in the coconut milk and applesauce and whisk until well combined; set aside. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; whisk well to combine.

3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and, using a wooden spoon or very sturdy spatula, stir until ingredients are combined. The batter will be very thick! Fold in 1 and 3/4 cups of the chocolate chips.

4. Scoop three tablespoon sized mounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookies for spreading. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers have set. Press remaining chocolate chips on top of warm cookies, and sprinkle with sea salt, if using. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Notes

If the dough appears too sticky, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time; if the dough appears too dry, add a tablespoon of coconut milk.

Source: https://bakerbynature.com/the-most-wonderful-vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies-ever/

We here at the Wildcat Roar take great pride in the fact we live in New Jersey. As one of the first 13 colonies, New Jersey has deep roots and rich culture.ne way New Jersey has done that is through the many sights and landmarks scattered around our little state. In this article, we discuss three of them.

Our first shining star of New Jersey is Liberty City Park. Opened in 1976, this park has some of the most breathtaking views possibly ever. Opposite of Ellis Island and Liberty Island, it’s essentially a telescope giving you the ability to gaze at New York, an important marvelous metropolis in itself. It also boasts two amazing monuments. Empty Sky is New Jersey’s state memorial to 9/11, with a fragment of the original twin towers on-site in front of walls etched with the names of 746 New Jerseyeans who lost their lives tragically on that day. And you can’t forget Liberation, which is a memorial remembering the holocaust with a haunting image of a soldier carrying the body of a nazi prisoner of an internment camp.

A more interactive sight to see and experience in New Jersey is Storybook Land. This humble little amusement park is perfect for young children, with an aesthetic that takes notes from child storybooks. One of its coolest attractions is the J&J Railroad Train, which circles around the park and gives you a preview of all the land has to offer. During Christmas time, Storybook Land has one of the most in-depth Christmas events in the region, with Mr. and Mrs. Claus in attendance to give your child those childhood memories they will remember forever.

Our last but not least attraction isa very important landmark in the biggest city in New Jersey. The Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall opened in 1929 and can seat up to 10,500 people and it has during some cool events of history. It has been the host of the Miss America Pageant too many times to count, has been the host of WrestleMania lV and V, and has housed world-renowned acts like Beyonce, Bon Jovi, and Justin Bieber. It has stood for almost 100 years and hopefully, it will remain a pillar of Atlantic City.

So that was our three major sights. We’re sorry if yours didn't appear on our short list of the amazing places New Jersey has to offer. This has been the Wildcat Roar. Remember to take time and notice the beautiful sights around your local area.

As a dog owner, I would often find myself letting my dog lick my plate clean after dinner or feeding him the scraps I was too full to finish without thinking twice about it. Unfortunately, my dog had to face the consequences of my actions and was sick to his stomach for three days, after I unknowingly fed him a piece of steak that had been marinated with garlic. Ever since, I make sure that the foods I allow my dog to have small pieces of are safe for him.

Most dog owners know that foods such as garlic, coffee, and chocolate are a big no-no when it comes to our four legged friends because these foods can cause serious health problems like heart damage and seizures. But what about the foods that some pet owners would not expect to be bad for their companions? The foods that dogs, cats, and our other furry creatures can and cannot consume are extensive and often unknown.

All dog owners can relate to the feeling of being watched while munching on some food and although the look a dog gives you when they want a piece of food can be too cute to say no to, it’s best for their health to turn down the temptations. Sweetened foods not in extreme moderation such as peanut butter, yogurt, and cookies are a big risk to your dog’s health because of the ingredient, Xylitol.

Xylitol is what helps foods contain their sweetness and although the ingredient makes our stomachs happy, it does the opposite for our dogs. Consuming too much Xylitol can cause your dog to experience low blood sugar, liver failure, seizures, and death. It is best to make sure your dog isn’t consuming too much food with this ingredient.

Another food that dog owners might feed their dogs often is raw fish and meat. Although raw diets can be good for our dogs' health and coats, there is also the risk of your dog catching the “fish disease”. The “fish disease” is caused when a parasite is living inside raw fish or raw meat, the first signs of this disease in dogs is vomiting, fever, and enlarged lymph nodes. Thankfully, this disease is treatable, but the best way to prevent this disease is to fully cook any fish or meat before serving it to your dog.

“Like raw eggs, raw meat and fish can have bacteria that causes food poisoning. Some fish such as salmon, trout, shad, or sturgeon can also have a parasite that causes ‘fish disease’ or ‘salmon poisoning disease.’ It's treatable, but get help right away,” states Pet Webmd.

One last food dog owners should avoid are grapes and raisins. It isn’t exactly clear why these small fruits are bad for their health but they can cause kidney failure, even if your dog only has a small bite.

Dogs can safely eat foods such as honey, coconut, and bread. Most of the foods that dogs can safely eat actually contain good health benefits for them. For example, coconut can help dogs feel better who experience flea allergies or itchy, dry skin.

“This funky fruit contains lauric acid, which can help combat bacteria and viruses. It can also help with bad breath and clearing up skin conditions like hot spots, flea allergies, and itchy skin.

Coconut milk and coconut oil are safe for dogs too”, American Kennel Club reports.

Feeding cats human food might seem a little strange to some cat owners but it happens more often than you think. Tuna is the most popular food that is given to cats and is one of the worst foods to feed a cat if too much is given. Cats who eat too much tuna can experience mercury poisoning. Mercury poisoning occurs when the toxic metal, mercury, is in large amounts in the body. Humans and felines can experience this sickness but the symptoms of mercury poisoning in a cat includes dizziness, loss of coordination, and loss of balance. Cats can have tuna from time to time but not too much.

“Even giving canned tuna as a treat can lead to health issues, especially if it is given in large amounts or frequently. To ensure your feline friend is getting the balanced nutrition they need without extra calories or toxic metals, choose a healthy cat food that uses tuna in a way that still meets their nutritional needs and satisfies their taste buds”, Hill's pet suggests.

Some foods that cats can safely eat and enjoy are bananas, carrots, oatmeal, and spinach. These foods can be given as treats from time to time and are good for a cat’s health. It is suggested that sweet foods like bananas aren’t given too often because their high sugar content can cause weight gain.

If you are an owner of small animals such as guinea pigs, gerbils, or hamsters, veterinarians suggest that staying away from human foods like cereal, oats, seeds, and nuts because they can cause significant health issues. When owning a guinea pig, their diet should consist of fresh veggies and fruits, but certain veggies like mushrooms, iceberg lettuce, and corn kernels can be harmful for their health. If your guinea pig experiences diarrhea or loss of appetite after being fed any of these foods, it’s best to seek veterinary care immediately.

Other small animals similar to guinea pigs like bunnies, hamsters, and gerbils should have similar diets to guinea pigs. Fresh veggies and fruits are good for their health but similar to guinea pigs, certain foods should be avoided. Lettuce, nuts, and sweet fruits can make them sick so if you do decide to feed them any of these foods, make sure the amount is small and not given too often.

“Beyond leafy greens you can feed other vegetables such as root vegetables or “flowers” such as broccoli and cauliflower. These foods are often higher in starch or sugars and should be fed in lesser amounts than the leafy greens.” Rabbit.org claims.

For better options for your furry friends, some options would be kale, romaine lettuce, parsley, and peas. These foods can be beneficial to their health and can be fed to them from time to time as snacks. If given too much or too often, your pets can experience weight gain or become sick so it’s best they eat the right amount of foods.

You can learn more about these foods on these websites: Rabbit.org Pets.webmd Hillspet.com Humanesociety.org american kennel club wkbw.com