I grew up in Washington state with great-tasting water. From the majority of the childhood I can remember to the beginnings of my adulthood, I could go to the tap and get water that was really, really good.

But then I left for Germany with the Army. For all the environmental similarities between my home state and there... their water was shit. I can completely understand why, centuries ago, their ancient ancestors made their water into beer instead of trying to drink it.

From there I was deployed to Iraq, whose water was literally undrinkable to our weak American immune systems (who weren't attuned to their icky water supply). Bottled water was the norm for the thirteen months I was there, which wasn't that good to boot.

After returning to Germany, I was moved to El Paso, Texas. Their water was a step above Iraq's, but a step below Germany's. When I was first transferred there a water-boiling edict was in place, because the Army post's (though not the city at large's) water was tainted for some reason. Even after that was over, El Paso's water tasted like shit.

I was medically discharged from El Paso, spent almost a year back in Washington, and moved to Chicago, just because. My opinion of Washington's excellent water hasn't changed, and after two years my opinion of Chicago's water is at roughly the level of El Paso.

My questions to you folks: is Washington's water special? Were you born there (or somewhere like there), did you grow up there, did something happen there that made you like drinking water? If not, what made you not like water? If you do like water, but it's hard to get good, what makes you drink it? If you don't like water, what makes you drink it? If you were born or grew up somewhere that had bad water, did you grow up liking tea or coffee or pop or something else in place of water?

[also to thequestionclub]

There is a new kitten in the house.

This particular kitten has not been born before my eyes, unlike 66% of all previous kittens I have encountered to date. I thought this ratio would be higher, but I remembered my aunt's kitten and a friend's pair of laser-loving kittens.

I am assuming she is a he (since last time I assumed she was a he) for now, just to mix things up. I don't have the pain stamina to go through the whole hand-holding-out-will-you-please-accept-that-I-won't-gut-you ritual for two hours this time, so after twenty or so minutes of that (and the hour or so of I-don't-have-a-home yowling described below) I let her in to the casa.

Before that the cat and the kittens were already interacting with her for a while through the screen door; once I realized she wasn't just another stray I initiated outdoor negotiations with food, and as of now she's padding around the apartment but not giving me the time of day.

The ferrets have come down from their cave, sniffed her, and found her acceptable. The only hurdles left are to get her to interact with me without claws, and with the current cats without snarls and yelps. If all that goes well she might stay here; if not, off to the shelter with ye.

And that's all.

porphyre and I have been working on turning an in joke into a full-blown project. We've worked out most of the kinks and it's mostly presentable now, so I give to you: Stop It, Japan!

Japan is a neat place, full of wonder and tempura. But sometimes they go too far (often hilariously), and we strive to document these transgressions of taste. Check it out, and please share it with your friends if you like it.

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