I am a pet person. I have two dogs. We've had goldfish (which we won at wedding of all things). If my kids had any say, we'd have cats, horses, hamsters, anything with four legs (no birds though--I have a kid afraid of birds--go figure). Anyhoo, as a per person, I often include them in books. I think having a pet adds depth to a character. It can give them a caring dimension that might note be evident through other actions.

Pets can also be a foil in stories. It can cause any number of mishaps and excitement. I just like adding them in. I will say though I do think it out, because if you're going to have your character be on the run, or just on the move for any length of time, the pet ha to be considered. You can't just mention so-and-so has a dog, then so-and-so is gone off doing this adventure and never goes more to take of said pooch, the reader is going to catch onto that and dislike so-and-so.

Cats, you can leave for longer periods of time, but if you don't want your house to be icky, then you need to at least get home to clean out that litter box.

So anyway, back to my question, do you add pets to a book? What makes you decide to include one? Or not? And do you have a preference for a specific pet or do you go with the vibe of the book (you know, like how some people are cat people and some are dog people, etc)? And… what’s the oddest pet that you have or would use? Anything exotic, strange or otherwise not your run-of-the-mill animal?

Have you seen that Capitol One commercial, the one with Alec as a sub... I love the line he makes when he they tell him the subject they're working on is Spelling and he says, "That's not a subject, right, Spellcheck that's a program." Makes me laugh every single time, because it really has become a mindset for some. I don't know that my kids know how to use a dictionary--okay, sure that probably *know* how to use one, but they just don't.

Me, I have seven just sitting on my desk. Two on my Kindle, one or two on my phone... I have tons of dictionaries. But you know what, with all the word programs, they have the auto corrects and the apps that will find the correct word that we don't *have* to know how to spell any more. If you get it in the ballpark, then the program can either infer what word you're looking for or it will give you several options for what you might be trying to write.

It does speed up time from having to schlep out that ten pound book to wade through it, but I can't help but wonder if it dumbs us down just a little bit. Okay, I will grant, I suck at math so if there's an app (or calculator) that can do the work for me I will reach for that before I grab scratch paper and pen and (try to) work it out myself.

Back to spelling... I am just as guilty of not always trying trying to figure out how to spell things, but I do try harder than when I first started writing on a computer. I figure that if I just click the "correct" button, I will spell it incorrectly every time. But if I try and work it out, get it right, I will be less likely to spell it incorrectly again. Seems simple.

Do you think all these apps and online conveniences make us dumber or just streamline the process so we get more done which is a trade off for what we don't know any more? (now grammar, that’s a whole ‘nother thing!!!)

I recently got a Kindle Fire HD (and of course, a mere week after I bought it, they came out with a brand, spanking new model—isn't that just always the way it goes... but that's neither here nor there). I debated over it, similar tablets, and maybe a netbook or the Surface—went over and over everything when trying to make my decision. I went with the Kindle for a variety of reasons (it was on the cheaper end, and thanks to my kid’s Kindle, I have a ton of apps already that I didn't have to buy—and I really, really wanted one, so there).
Anyhoo, I got the Kindle and already I am having a problem with it. I am having the same problem with my iPhone. What is that, you ask?
My fingers don't seem to have whatever it takes to work the touch screen. Seriously. I have so much trouble actually "clicking" on certain aspects, my kids are getting annoyed when I have to ask them to do something on my phone. "Mo-om, just do..." I know *what* to do; really, I do. I just can't make it work right.
It's so bizarre; it's not like I'm not trying to do it correctly. And truth be told, it freaks me out a little bit. I mean, whose fingers don't work on a touch screen (and before you ask, my nails aren't long—can't type with the long nails).
I still don't want to work backwards technology-wise. I like my phone and my Kindle. I bought a keyboard and a stylus for the Kindle so that helps a lot. I have to say, back in March when I bought my new computer I am ever so thankful I didn't get the touch screen—I was more afraid of something going out on that quicker than a "regular" monitor. Imagine if I couldn't get it to work, too.
So are you caught up with some or all of the new technology? Is there something that you love but just doesn't work for/with you? Do you keep at it or did you have to give it up completely? And what are you waiting for—what's on your technology wish-list? (I still want a Nook tablet [overkill, I know], and I do want a Surface, but prolly won’t get that… and … well… so many, many things)