7 Things Meme

Comment to this post, and I will list seven things I want you to talk about. They might make sense or they might be totally random. Then post that list, with your commentary, to your journal. Other people can get lists from you, and the meme merrily perpetuates itself.

nicodemusrat gave me: Hawai'i, comics, furry fandom, worst shoes, handwriting, favorite tech gadget, ice cream. So here goes:


1. Hawai'i

This was where I was born and raised, and am now back again living. I grew up on O'ahu (Kaimuki district, specifically) and lived there for 21 years before moving to L.A. in 1992. I like living over here, though it can get trying at times because of the high cost of living and the aloha spirit no longer being as strong as it was when I was growing up. Personally, I think the reason there isn't as much aloha as there used to be is because the people that came over here to work the plantation fields are passing away, so that culture is slowly ebbing. Add to that the influx of people from the U.S. mainland and overseas, and the aloha diminishes further.


2. Comics

I've never been a huge comics fan although I have several webcomics that I read regularly. I don't read a lot of webcomics anymore, partly because several artists of webcomics that I read either aren't able to update regularly or decided to end their comic. There are a pawful of comics that update almost daily, and for that I'm grateful, but it generally takes me less than an hour to read all the updates on the webcomics that I do read. Maybe I should go out and see if there are any other webcomics that I can check out.


3. Furry fandom

I can trace my involvement in the fandom back to 1992, when I met someone who I'd originally known on a mailing list. Said person turned out to be a fur and showed me FurryMUCK. A few months later, I went to my first furry con (ConFurence 4, I believe). But I didn't actually get a character on FM until over a year later, after SWAT Kats came out and I found my fursona. I'd always liked cats since I was young, so it wasn't much of a stretch to adopt a feline fursona. Did I mention that I'm currently owned by an attention-loving kitty as I type? :)


4. Worst shoes

Probably the Coraframs I used to wear while on active duty. Because the outer covers were plastic, they were shiny without any polishing, but they hurt my feet. A LOT. So finally I replaced them with leather-based dress shoes, which required some polishing but were more comfortable. Then the leather soles started to disintegrate on me. Not sure how well my current pair will hold up.


5. Handwriting

I've been complimented on my handwriting. I generally like to write so I can read it, though it can and does get messy if I'm trying to write something down in a hurry, like taking a phone message. I can type faster than write, so if I can I prefer to type a message rather than write it. Not only is it more legible, I can jot a lot more down more quickly if I type it.


6. Favorite tech gadget

Kinda tough to pick out just one. :) But new toys usually become my current faves, and to that end I'd have to nominate the self-washing litter box I recently bought for Lani. From what I can tell it's pretty good, and once I phase out her old litter box I shouldn't have to worry about cleaning the cat box again. :)


7. Ice cream

Mmm. :9
I don't eat it a whole lot though. Usually I don't mind it plain but I find I like it better as part of a milkshake or a soda float.

Writer's Block: Meow vs. Arf

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I am definitely a cat person, if you can't tell from my icon. :)
I grew up with three cats and one dog, and all of my cats were much smarter than the dog.
Cats are also generally quieter and cleaner than dogs, and they can be left alone for longer periods of time. And if you find a cat that loves you, it'll want to hang around you just as much as a dog does. At least my cat does.

Of course, cats can't bark a warning like dogs can, and they generally can't fetch or do tricks (there are some exceptions, though not with my cat). Still, for a furry companion, it's hard to beat the tidbits of affection (kitty rubs everything in sight, thereby labeling those objects as his/hers), the soothing purring, and the occasional playing. :)

(no subject)

So is it a sign that you could be a closet furry if you treat your pets like people?
There are times that Lani seems like a spoiled child, but never having been a real parent I have nothing to compare Lani's behavior to.

http://www.pawnation.com/2010/04/01/why-we-treat-our-pets-like-people/

(no subject)

I've had several discussions with technocollie over this. I posted my opinion over on FB, but for those who don't (or refuse to) use FB, here's what I contend: it's significantly cheaper, better, and healthier to cook than eat out. In other words: the article is pure BS.

There are a few exceptions, such as those who supposedly can't even boil water, but those are the exception rather than the rule.

I usually end up eating out because it's more convenient for me -- I'm often too tired, plus given that my place looks like a war zone and there's no room to even use the stove, cooking is out of the question. (I did cook some pasta several years ago but haven't used the kitchenette since.)

technocollie counters that if you live by yourself, you end up having to cook single servings and end up with little variety since if you cook in bulk you end up eating the same thing every day. I will admit that my mom told me that after my dad passed away, it was harder for her to cook as well because she was forced to make smaller portions, and it often seemed easier to just eat out. Then again, she was also in the final stages of cancer, so she didn't get out much to begin with either.

For households with two or more, I say cooking is definitely the way to go because you can easily save. For single-person households, it's a toss up. I still say it's cheaper to cook your own meals, but when you're weighing the cost of that versus the convenience of eating out, and the fact that you don't end up with as many leftovers, eating out seems more appealing.

If cost was the biggest factor -- and it could become that way given how prices are going up -- it would make far better sense to cook. But for now -- and only because I can budget for, and afford it -- I usually end up eating out.