Whilst Death May Come for All, Still I, Myself, Will Kick Him In the Nuts
Vimes, my ferret, who has been the only constant in my life--the only one that I felt I knew completely and totally was in my corner and would agree that whatever I decided to do would be the right thing--for seven years, has developed a cataract in his left eye. I noticed it today when I checked him over since, after an overnight trip to stay with his auntie, he's not ventured below the second level of his cage.
A cataract in the eye of a seven and a half year old ferret is not a big surprise. Hell, it's not a little surprise. It is, in fact, a statistical probability. He's half a year late, which is almost surprising since his $1500 vet outlay (which all ferrets seem to face at some point) was for a sebacious tumour that wouldn't have been more than $800 or so if I wasn't a coward that refused to acknowledge that a spider bite goes away after a month or so. Sebacious tumours are one of the most common ailments for ferrets. Next to cataract, apparently.
I got Vimes from a pet store in a Surrey mall. Not a breeder. And he was already six months old, not 8 weeks. He's been a perfect little pet. Everyone agrees that he's the sweetest, calmest ferret they've ever met. This is probably because I'm a very impatient person and he's an exceptionally smart little weasel (case in point : no interest in chewing on powercords, though he does love plastic rubber). He learned from me that I'd give him all sorts of attention if he could manage NOT to do something I didn't like.
I've never been happier with a pet, or more ashamed that I haven't been better as a pet owner, than I have been with Vimes.
And now I know he's getting old. And that he's not going to be one of the few magic ferrets that live to fifteen that make up for those poor ones living less than the average of 7 - 10 years.
So my philosophical point of the moment is, fuck essentialism, existentialism, humanism and deism. Fuck you all 'til I get a handle on ontology so I can manage Space and Time and figure out how to get back my little baby ferret that hid in my couch.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Pecuniae et Cupido Pecuniarum Inferios Via Sunt
Money and the Desire for Money are the Road to Hell
If you could have anything, anything at all, what would it be?
I can't answer that definite with finality for myself, easily. If I could have anything at all it would begin with a desire for the first breath upon waking (or not if you've read earlier entries). I am fully convinced that to want something is in and of itself the entire point of existence. For some it is the wanting of dinner, for others the wanting of a home of their own. Still others wish for an apartment as delicious, and as well placed, as those of their friends. Or a car, a promotion, a grade, a position, a desk, a person...
Our brains are geared for envy. The level of happiness we feel is directly related to the level of success we feel that surpasses that of our colleagues, peers and surroundings. North America cannot be any more happy than Japan, China, England, Spain, Greece...or North Korea. Especially North Korea and China, really, since they have such firm censorship that the people within cannot know how their countries compare in wealth and "happiness" to other countries--they can feel as happy as their governments tell them they should be (even if some are eating the same food as their goats).
The grass is always greener. Keeping up with the Joneses. Trite, simple phrases. But they are so for a reason. We are happiest when we succeed...a by-product of being descendents of those coming down from the trees. And we judge and measure our success against those around us.
I'm very lucky to know that as a professional student I'll never measure up to my friends in financial success and can therefore dedicate my time and intention towards building my ivory tower.
I've just put in new hardwood floors.
If you could have anything, anything at all, what would it be?
I can't answer that definite with finality for myself, easily. If I could have anything at all it would begin with a desire for the first breath upon waking (or not if you've read earlier entries). I am fully convinced that to want something is in and of itself the entire point of existence. For some it is the wanting of dinner, for others the wanting of a home of their own. Still others wish for an apartment as delicious, and as well placed, as those of their friends. Or a car, a promotion, a grade, a position, a desk, a person...
Our brains are geared for envy. The level of happiness we feel is directly related to the level of success we feel that surpasses that of our colleagues, peers and surroundings. North America cannot be any more happy than Japan, China, England, Spain, Greece...or North Korea. Especially North Korea and China, really, since they have such firm censorship that the people within cannot know how their countries compare in wealth and "happiness" to other countries--they can feel as happy as their governments tell them they should be (even if some are eating the same food as their goats).
The grass is always greener. Keeping up with the Joneses. Trite, simple phrases. But they are so for a reason. We are happiest when we succeed...a by-product of being descendents of those coming down from the trees. And we judge and measure our success against those around us.
I'm very lucky to know that as a professional student I'll never measure up to my friends in financial success and can therefore dedicate my time and intention towards building my ivory tower.
I've just put in new hardwood floors.
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Sexualis Natura et Aetas Conveniens Mores
Sexual Nature and Age Appropriate Behaviour
In my last post I wrote about how disgusting I found some of the goods and services being marketed towards parents for their pre-preteen girls.
Today, I'd like to bring to attention this which discusses the recent fashion spread in French Vogue featuring a 9-10 year old model in "typical" high fashion poses.
One news report describes her as "provocatively posing with her hip jut out" (covered by a bunny rabbit she's petting) and with the sexy pout and seductive eyes of a much older model. There's even mention of wishing nostalgically for the days of Brooke Shields as a teenager telling us "nothing comes between me and my Calvin's"--forgetting her stint in Blue Lagoon.
And here's my controversial opinion. She looks hilarious. Not sexy. Not provocative. Hilarious. Just like a little girl does when she steps into her mother's high heels and smears her mouth with lipstick (and the picture of Thylane Blondeau smudging her lipstick in a mirror comes off almost EXACTLY like it). It's wanting to grow up. To be glamourous. Her body posing is awkward, her head is MUCH too big for her body (as it should be for god's sake, she's only 10) and she looks more confused and vacant than comehither.
"But the pedophiles!" you may cry. "They're looking at her and it makes them think it's okay to sexualise little girls." Here's a hint, people. Pedophiles -already- think it's okay to sexualise little girls. That's why they're pedophiles. And they don't need to look at a photospread intended to create controversy to get their rocks off over a FULLY clothed and made-up (to the point of a near mask) child. There's this thing called the internet. Perhaps you've heard of it?
In my last post I wrote about how disgusting I found some of the goods and services being marketed towards parents for their pre-preteen girls.
Today, I'd like to bring to attention this which discusses the recent fashion spread in French Vogue featuring a 9-10 year old model in "typical" high fashion poses.
One news report describes her as "provocatively posing with her hip jut out" (covered by a bunny rabbit she's petting) and with the sexy pout and seductive eyes of a much older model. There's even mention of wishing nostalgically for the days of Brooke Shields as a teenager telling us "nothing comes between me and my Calvin's"--forgetting her stint in Blue Lagoon.
And here's my controversial opinion. She looks hilarious. Not sexy. Not provocative. Hilarious. Just like a little girl does when she steps into her mother's high heels and smears her mouth with lipstick (and the picture of Thylane Blondeau smudging her lipstick in a mirror comes off almost EXACTLY like it). It's wanting to grow up. To be glamourous. Her body posing is awkward, her head is MUCH too big for her body (as it should be for god's sake, she's only 10) and she looks more confused and vacant than comehither.
"But the pedophiles!" you may cry. "They're looking at her and it makes them think it's okay to sexualise little girls." Here's a hint, people. Pedophiles -already- think it's okay to sexualise little girls. That's why they're pedophiles. And they don't need to look at a photospread intended to create controversy to get their rocks off over a FULLY clothed and made-up (to the point of a near mask) child. There's this thing called the internet. Perhaps you've heard of it?
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