Since you want to keep your cats indoors, but you have a nice yard, why not build or buy a cat enclosure? Cats love these, and they're an easy compromise that lets you give your indoor-only cat a taste of the yard, without any danger.
If you do build one, make sure that your cat is either supervised when using it, or that she can get back inside at any time (preferably both). You wouldn't want a dog or a coyote to come by and trap her inside of it.
The only supernatural thing that ever happened to me was when my cat died. I was probably 12 or 13, and I was playing alone in my room, just before bedtime. I heard brakes screech outside, and suddenly I knew, beyond any doubt, that my cat had been hit by that car. I was sure of it, even though we lived on a busy street, and I'd heard screeching brakes a hundred times before. I changed out of my pajamas and into some clothes, and went out to the living room. A short while later, someone knocked at the door. Sure enough, some lady had my poor, broken Snowball in a cardboard box. I said goodbye, and after that, I think my father probably put my cat out of her misery.
It's weird, but what stands out in my memory, even more than seeing her in that box, is the way I'd immediately known what happened to her, even though I couldn't have. I'm the skeptical type, but there has never been any doubt in my mind that this happened to me. Even my parents noticed that I'd come out of my room before the lady had come by with the box.
578 new or revived characters seems an awful lot. I know nothing about Kanji - would younger people know what half of the new ones were supposed to mean, anyway?
The Japanese government keeps a list of approved kanji for use in given names, and this story is just about adding currently existing non-name kanji to the list. In other words, these are not "new kanji" so much as they are "kanji that people are allowed to use in names now". Everyone will already know what they mean.
The "Buttocks" thing is pretty funny, but the most-requested new name kanji have more ordinary meanings like "Strawberry", "Distant", "Gleam", and "Eagle".
This Wiki page has some more info on the Name Kanji, including a paragraph or two about the plan to expand them.
For films, Le Dernier Combat is excellent.
For books, I enjoyed Pat Murphy's The City, Not Long After. It's a post-apocalyptic tale told with a strong sense of whimsy, and where else are you going to find that?
Watership Down, without a doubt. This was my personal Bible as a kid, and it's still the book I turn to when I'm looking for the comfort of a well-worn, well-loved novel.
Since you want to keep your cats indoors, but you have a nice yard, why not build or buy a cat enclosure? Cats love these, and they're an easy compromise that lets you give your indoor-only cat a taste of the yard, without any danger. If you do build one, make sure that your cat is either supervised when using it, or that she can get back inside at any time (preferably both). You wouldn't want a dog or a coyote to come by and trap her inside of it.
posted by vorfeed 20 years ago
In "Curious George: True Stories of the Supernatural and Scary!"
The only supernatural thing that ever happened to me was when my cat died. I was probably 12 or 13, and I was playing alone in my room, just before bedtime. I heard brakes screech outside, and suddenly I knew, beyond any doubt, that my cat had been hit by that car. I was sure of it, even though we lived on a busy street, and I'd heard screeching brakes a hundred times before. I changed out of my pajamas and into some clothes, and went out to the living room. A short while later, someone knocked at the door. Sure enough, some lady had my poor, broken Snowball in a cardboard box. I said goodbye, and after that, I think my father probably put my cat out of her misery. It's weird, but what stands out in my memory, even more than seeing her in that box, is the way I'd immediately known what happened to her, even though I couldn't have. I'm the skeptical type, but there has never been any doubt in my mind that this happened to me. Even my parents noticed that I'd come out of my room before the lady had come by with the box.
posted by vorfeed 20 years ago
In "Meet my son "Buttocks" and my daughter "Prostitute". "
578 new or revived characters seems an awful lot. I know nothing about Kanji - would younger people know what half of the new ones were supposed to mean, anyway? The Japanese government keeps a list of approved kanji for use in given names, and this story is just about adding currently existing non-name kanji to the list. In other words, these are not "new kanji" so much as they are "kanji that people are allowed to use in names now". Everyone will already know what they mean. The "Buttocks" thing is pretty funny, but the most-requested new name kanji have more ordinary meanings like "Strawberry", "Distant", "Gleam", and "Eagle". This Wiki page has some more info on the Name Kanji, including a paragraph or two about the plan to expand them.
posted by vorfeed 20 years ago
In "Curious George"
For films, Le Dernier Combat is excellent. For books, I enjoyed Pat Murphy's The City, Not Long After. It's a post-apocalyptic tale told with a strong sense of whimsy, and where else are you going to find that?
posted by vorfeed 20 years ago
In ""
Watership Down, without a doubt. This was my personal Bible as a kid, and it's still the book I turn to when I'm looking for the comfort of a well-worn, well-loved novel.
posted by vorfeed 20 years ago
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