Jack kerouac photo

Mickey Rooney gives a stirring performance in this tale about a man who makes one poor decision which might lead to his demise. ...

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.

Kerouac breaths. Kerouac performs.

Jack Kerouac’s birthday is March 12. Today we remember the Beat writer and his friends: “the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing ... but burn, burn, burn like roman candles across the night.” NEW YORK CITY—American poet and writer Jack Kerouac, 1953.

Cats and dogs are cool enough on their own, but just in case you weren't convinced about this verified fact, here are some famous people with their pets to convince you. Given how most of the pet owners on this list are larger-than-life celebrities, it's nice to know that even they enjoyed the company of pets just like we do. Sure, maybe not all of us can afford an ocelot like Salvador Dali, but it's nice to know that even he had a cat to scratch behind the ears from time to time.

I could have done a lot worst than sit In Skid Row drinkin wine To know that nothing really matters after all To know there’s no real difference Between the rich and the poor To know that eternity is neither drunk nor sober, to know it young and to be a poet Coulda gone into business and ranted And believed that God was concerned Instead I squatted in lonesome alleys And nobody saw me, just my bottle And what they saw of it was empty And I did it in cornfields and graveyards To know that…

In The Cat Inside William Burroughs paid a great compliment to his favorite animals: “My relationships with my cats has saved me from a deadly, pervasive ignorance.” Now, isn’t that a true thing? That our relationship with animals can have such a benevolent influence. I’m spending the week looking after a friend’s dog (a cute, wee strawberry-blonde, Lakeland Terrier), who has, over the years, taught me much about myself, for which I will always be grateful. In thanks for that, here is a…