June 2023 Edition

Sam The Cat Lover
By: Diane Rosen / Animal Magnetism
had a fun phone conversation the other day
I with a guy who is into cats big time. His name
is Sam Novak, and he loves cats like I love dogs
- completely, enthusiastically, and passionately.
Sam loves cats no matter what their circumstances or needs. He’s
been a cat parent, a cat rescuer and cat caregiver to dozens and dozens
of cats over the years.
Sam seems to draw cats in need out of the woodwork. He once had a
wooden sign on the porch of his Florida home that read, “We Take in
Strays.” Once he put that sign up, so many cats showed up, he swears
they knew how to read!
Are There Really No Bad
Cars Anymore?
By: BJ Killeen / Down the Road
For those of us who grew up in the ’60s and
’70s, we knew there were cars you just didn’t
buy because the quality was so poor. As the Japanese manufacturers
moved into America and challenged the quality of domestic vehicles,
things got better quickly.
Competition breeds improvement, and it wasn’t long before the
domestic automakers were focusing on quality along with fuel
efficiency and safety. This was good news for consumers.
Sam lives in Vegas with his 13 cat kids. I asked him to name them
and he said, “My current kids are Mary and her children Miss Three,
Blaze, Lefty and Nero. Molly has no teeth. Sally has no teeth and a
broken tail.”
“Miss Pickles lost her front toes after being declawed, and Larry has
no eyes after being sprayed with a power washer when he was just a
few weeks old. The rest are Stanley, Tasha, Brucie and Glenn Binkles.”
I love it! Sam wants everyone to know that his house is spotless
and you’d never know cats live there, except for all the photos and
memorials to those who have passed.
There’s a group of people who go out every day with cat food and
water to help 40-50 feral cats that live around Towns Square and the
golf course across the street. Sam, of course, is one of them.
The people who feed these cats make sure they are neutered or
spayed, with the help of organizations and others. An easy way to tell
that cats have been “fixed” is by looking at their ears which have been
cropped or “tipped” at the corner. I had no idea!
Sam is a delightful guy with a huge heart, and cats of all kinds are
the beneficiaries of his love and devotion. They are his children. They
sure are lucky!
Diane Rosen is a lover of all things pets. You can contact her at:
dianerosen2188@gmail.com.
32
June 2023
For the past two decades, you’d have to search hard to find a vehicle
that any automotive enthusiast would warn against purchasing.
Domestic manufacturers were making vehicles as good (and often
better) than their European or Asian counterparts.
But since the automotive industry is a lucrative business, new
manufacturers outside of the established brands from Europe, Japan
and America stepped in to try to take away market share from the bigger
manufacturers. The Koreans came first with Kias and Hyundais, and
learned quickly that quality was important, so they improved, and
today, match the best in the industry.
Which brings us to the newest automotive import: VinFast. VinFast is
a Vietnamese-founded Singaporean-based private automotive company
that started in 2017. Its goal to bring electrified vehicles to the world.
And it has taken six years to introduce its first products to America.
Recently, VinFast hosted automotive journalists on a first-drive event,
where they got to experience the new VF8 electrified SUV. While the
vehicles were praised for their exterior design, they were savagely
brutalized on everything else.
From the horrible ride and handling to the terrible interior quality
to connectivity issues, the SUV was roasted with phrases like “abysmal,
“unbearable,” and even “terrible.” Not a good way to try to compete in
a market full of trustworthy Toyotas.
VinFast has already taken orders and delivered some vehicles to its
customers. If you are one of those or are in the market and heard about
the new VinFast, do your research and be sure to test drive one before
you buy it. Remember, caveat emptor; let the buyer beware.
BJ Killeen has been an automotive journalist for over 30 years.
She welcomes all questions and inquiries, and can be reached at
bjkdtr@gmail.com