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kyrieanne · 5 years ago

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In which I try to convince another person to watch Parks and Rec

In a recent hangout, @elizabethminkel, @imaginarycircus, and I were trying to convince @flourish to watch Parks and Recreation. I made the argument that if they like Star Trek: Voyager they will like Parks & Rec. So Flourish agreed that if I made a post laying out my Parks & Rec is Star Trek Voyager in sitcom form argument, they would move it up on their watch list.

So Flourish, here you go...

KA’S GENERAL ADVICE TO STARTING PARKS & REC

Start with Season 2. You can go back and watch Season 1 later. It’s only 6 episodes and they were still getting the tone for Amy Poehler’s character just right. Starting in Season 2, all of Leslie Knope’s co-workers know she is good at her job no matter how out there they (for good reason) think she is.

Pawnee is a character. Kind of like how the Simpsons have all these secondary and tertiary characters that rotate through — so does Pawnee and the town as a character becomes a damn delight in watching the show. Treat yo’ self to this article on the fabulous murals in Pawnee City Hall. (For the record, my favorite Pawnee citizen is this man:

It’s more serialized than you expect a sitcom to be. You won’t be confused by the story no matter what episode you watch, but the real gold of Parks is watching it as serialized television with real arcs. Assume you’ll want to keep watching once you start.

MEET THE CREW

JANEWAY | Leslie Knope - Leslie Knope is the sitcom version of a young Janeway — kick ass, smart, hardworking, and ambitious. The Leslie you see in Season 7 is probably closer to the Janeway you see when Voyager begins. Both of these stories center on a woman leading, one at the beginning of her career and the other at the pinnacle of it (cause obviously Voyager made Janeway a damn legend). What they have in common all along the way is a literal crew. Janeway is in the wild, Wild West, without the bureaucracy of Star Fleet, and Leslie Knope is navigating the endless bureaucracy of local government. Both are rule followers until the rules fail to make sense; then they are willing to do anything to care for the people under their charge.

CHAKOTAY | Chris Traeger - They’re both in charge of things. They both principled characters who know what they believe. Often, they are both foils for other characters and they always come through.

TUVOK | Donna Meagle - Both bosses. Both totally who they are and if you don’t like it then that’s a you problem.

TOM PARIS | Tom Haverford - Obsessed with pop culture. Flirts. Got something to prove. Their stories veer in different directions, but they start in a similar place.

B’ELANNA TORRES | April Ludgate - Each woman is unique, but they were both young and savvy. Torres struggles with the two halves of who she is (Klingon/Human) and April, over the course of the series, struggles with apathy vs. earnestness. Like how Janeway gives Torres a shot as Chief Engineer, Leslie Knope will never give up on April and the show rewards the viewer with a great female-female mentorship.

DOCTOR | Ron Swanson - Iconic grumps who find people extremely irritating. The Doctor is a bit more naive than Ron, but both evolve into more than they could have ever imagined. The Doctor, like Ron, gets all the best one liners.

SEVEN | Ben Wyatt - He’s a ‘numbers robot’ and she’s Borg. Both begin their character arcs a little traumatized by their pasts and without real human relationships. Overtime, they become emotive, hopeful people who show they care by taking action often at a deep personal expense. (see what Ben Wyatt does in “The Trial of Leslie Knope”)

HARRY KIM | Ann Perkins - A really damn good friend and person, both of them. Both have terrible luck in romantic relationships for most of their respective series.

NEELIX | Andy Dwyer - Andy is funnier than Neelix and Neelix is smarter than Andy, but both have a tendency to drop a piece of wisdom when you least expect it.

JOE CAREY | Jerry Gergich - He’s there! He’s got a family! No one can quite remember his name.

KES | Mark Brendanawicz - Kes goes out as a alien beam of light; Mark will have a similar-ish fate.

SESKA | Tammy 2 - You will love Tammy 2. She is a sex-positive Seska — over everyone’s shit and completely insane.

THE BORG QUEEN | Eagleton - Pawnee’s rival town full of suburban automatons.

KA’S VERY SPECIFIC PITCH TO FLOURISH

First off, there’s that meme - “Be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do.” Janeway is the Leslie Knope of Star Fleet Captain. Trust me on this.

Second, I know you aren’t super into comedies, though you love Brooklyn Nine Nine and The Good Place. But hear me out…

Voyager is a sci-fi drama that is often the red-head step child of the Star Trek franchise because it isn’t dark and political like Deep Space Nine, philosophical like The Next Generation, etc. It had all the hallmarks of Star Trek — adventure, drama, an ethos of hope — etc, but it was also FUN.

Parks is a comedy — I won’t pretend it’s got the angst of a drama, but it is a comedy of IDEAS, a hallmark for any Mike Schur show. Where as The Good Place was about philosophy, Parks is about community. Voyager is about getting home; Parks and Rec is about making the place you call home better. Like Voyager, it takes people who owe nothing to each other and forms a community. Nothing will make you feel FEELINGS like the end of “End of the World” (Season 4, Episode 6) or the end of “The Trial of Leslie Knope” (Season 4, Episode 9), episodes where characters reach dramatic, but quiet life changing moments where they see the world differently than they did before. They change. I think that’s probably what I’m trying to say — Parks and Rec characters change and grow with as much narrative arch as any drama.

Watching that is a damn delight.

KA’S FAVORITE EPISODES BY SEASON

Season 1

“Rock Show” (Episode 6)

Season 2

“Hunting Trip” (Episode 10)

’94 Meetings” (Episode 21)

“Telethon” (Episode 22)

Season 3

“Flu Season” (Episode 2)

“Harvest Festival” (Episode 7)

“April & Andy’s Fancy Party” (Episode 9)

“Road Trip” (Episode 13)

“The Fight” (Episode 14)

Season 4

“The Treaty” (Episode 7)

“Smallest Park” (Episode 8)

“Win, Lose, or Draw” (Episode 22)

Season 5

“Halloween Surprise” (Episode 5)

“Leslie and Ben” (Episode 14)

Season 6

“The Cones of Dunshire” (Episode 9)

“Moving Up” (Episode 21 & 22)

Season 7

“Leslie and Ron” (Episode 4)

“One Last Ride” (Episode 12 & 13)

#parks #star trek voyager

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cutshawsnidowoa · 6 years ago

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6 Fluffy Cat Breeds to Fawn Over

The post 6 Fluffy Cat Breeds to Fawn Over by Erika Sorocco appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

We’ve got longhair and shorthair aplenty, we’ve got hairless and munchkins galore, you want tabby stripes, we’ve got 20 …. But today, we’re introducing you to not one, not two, but six fluffy cat breeds that will leave you itching for a pet, cuddle or all of the above.

First, What Makes Fluffy Cat Breeds Fluffy?

What makes fluffy cat breeds so fluffy? Photography by Dave Wetzel / Shutterstock.

Before we get to meeting the cats, let’s cover the science … what makes those fluffy cat breeds so fabulously floofy?

“A cat’s coat is comprised of three layers of fur,” says Sasha Gibbons, DVM at Just Cats Veterinary Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut. “The topcoat is made up of guard hairs. These are the thickest type of fur and are designed for protecting against the outdoor elements. Beneath the guard hairs are the awn and down, which provide insulation to the cat. Variation in the number of hairs in each layer result in varying coat thickness or fluffiness. For instance, a Cornish Rex has no guard hairs, whereas a Siberian has a large number of guard hairs, as well as down.”

And now for the main (or shall we say mane?) event … the felines behind the fluffy cat breeds.

1. Ragdoll

Ragdoll cats naturally come to mind when thinking about fluffy cat breeds. Photography by Tony Campbell / Shutterstock.

With a name like Ragdoll, don’t expect anything less than a plush princess with a personality as bright and shiny as her trademark blue eyes. Named for her penchant to go limp in your arms ragdoll-style, this feline angel makes our list of fluffy cat breeds due to her silky-to-the-touch coat, which lacks the insulated undercoat of many long-haired breeds. This means her luscious locks are easier to care for, and reduces the chances of matting and shedding.

Though she’s happy to hang with other kitties, her true love is humans – even meeting you at the door when you return home from your day to day!

2. Birman

Known as the Sacred Cat of Birma, the Birman earns a spot among fluffy cat breeds because, similar to the Ragdoll, his lack of an undercoat gives him a silky, fuss-free mane. However, his true coat trick is something far more unique. Though born entirely white, as the Birman ages he develops darker-colored fur (lilac, gold and chocolate) on each of his points, giving him a kiss of uniqueness that is all his own.

The one commonality across the Birman board: the four white paws known as gloves. But don’t be fooled by his posh, debonair looks. The Birman is a ball of energy who loves to play for hours on end – his flowing locks sailing in the wind as he fetches and frolics!

3. Nebelung

Before you say it, no, the Nebelung is not a Russian Blue … though she is a distant cousin of the ethereal feline, sporting a longer coat, and being as elusive as a crimson diamond. Rare in the cat world, the Nebelung is known for her shy persona and rightfully makes this roundup of fluffy cat breeds for her plume-like tail, Oriental-inspired looks, and fluffy-to-the-touch, medium-length fur.

With a name that means “creature of the mist” in German, the Nebelung has yet to clinch recognition from the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), but has been a member of The International Cat Association (TICA) since 1997, with the hopes that the breed will soon become more commonplace in the cat world. Fun fact: the Nebelung is one of the featured (and very rare) Harry Potter Patronus options for users who take the Pottermore personality test!

4. Cymric

Cymric cats are another unique breed on this list of fluffy cat breeds. Lilac-point Cymric ‘Ramsey’ 2011-04-06. Photography © Flickr user Stanton McCandlish. Used under Flickr’s Creative Commons License. Some modifications have been made to fit the specifications of this site.

First things first … the proper pronunciation is, say it with me now, kim-rick. A sister breed to the short-haired Manx, some say the Cymric is part rabbit due to his cottontail, long hind legs and the fluffy-to-a-fault fur coat that nabs him a place among these fluffy cat breeds. Being part rabbit isn’t biologically possible, but a cute concept nonetheless. Bred to be tail-free, the Cymric, sometimes referred to as a ‘cabbit,’ has a double coat that is long and silky yet easy to maintain.

Born to work as a mouser, the Cymric has fierce hunting skills, and could easily be considered a watch cat, but that doesn’t stop him from loving to curl up in your lap for a cuddle sesh every now and again. Fun fact: the Cymric, like the Manx, can be seen in four tail lengths: no tail, or rumpy; a rise of bone at the base of the spine, or riser; short tails, or stumpies; and normal-length tails, or longies.

5. Exotic Shorthair

Surprised to see a so-called shorthair in an article about fluffy cat breeds? That’s because the Exotic Shorthair is a shorthair like no other. A mirror-image of a Persian (no, really), the Exotic Shorthair has been dubbed by the feline fanciers world as the Lazy Man’s Persian due to his plush, short coat that is teddy bear-esque but easy-peasy to maintain – meaning no matting, no tangling and far less combing required.

Over-the-top affectionate, this fluffy feline (known for his rounded features), lives for love and never misses an opportunity to cuddle. Fun fact: Some Exotic Shorthairs have been known to hug their humans when pet, and may even sit on your shoulder!

6. Norwegian Forest Cat

A star of Norwegian folktales and mythology for centuries, the Norwegian Forest Cat, or ‘Wegie,’ is relatively new to the US, but has quickly captured the hearts of many with her beauty and social butterfly ways.

Believed to have served as ratters for Viking explorers aboard ships, the Norwegian Forest Cat is known for the sumptuous coat that lands her on this list of fluffy cat breeds. Insulated and waterproof, the Wegie was bred for cold climates, making her fluffy fur a standout characteristic that is equal parts elegant and cozy to cuddle up to. Fun fact: In her native country of Norway, the Norwegian Forest Cat is known as the skogkatt, which translates to forest cat.

Caring for Fluffy Cat Breeds

How is caring for fluffy cat breeds any different than caring for other types of cats? Photography by Sylvia Adams / Shutterstock.

Think that fluffiness has an effect on a feline’s health? Think again! Sure, these fluffy cat breeds may need a touch more TLC when it comes to grooming than their short-haired counterparts, but more hair won’t negatively affect their health. Promise.

“A common myth is that fluffy cats are at a higher risk of hairballs,” says Dr. Gibbons. “Hairballs are an accumulation of fur in the gastrointestinal tract that can cause irritation and lead to vomiting. The occurrence of hairballs, however, is not related to the length or amount of fur a cat has. Hairballs result from an individual cat’s grooming habits and metabolism. Short-haired cats that overgroom themselves or groom their housemates are equally at risk of hairballs as long-haired cats. In the same regard, some long-haired cats will simply pass the fur in their stool without it getting stuck in the stomach and intestines. If your cat does have problems with hairballs, daily brushing, petroleum-based lubricants, and hairball diets or treats can be helpful in treatment and prevention.”

Tell us: Do you have one of these fluffy cat breeds in your household? Is your cat fluffy but not one of these breeds (or a mix)? Tell us about him/her in the comments!

Read more about cat breeds on Catster.com:

All About the Birman Cat Breed

5 Hairless Cat Breeds — The Naked Truth

11 Reasons to Love the Snowshoe Cat

from Catster https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/fluffy-cat-breeds via IFTTT

#Catster

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