[rant]
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I'm probably moving out of my current house in about a month and a half, when the lease expires. Initially I was planning on staying on with one housemate (S) and the b/f (B) after R moved out, but when I spoke to R a couple of days ago, she still hadn't found work, and if she doesn't find work by the end of the month then she can't afford to move out, and I think she's worried that real estate agents don't like leasing houses to unemployed graphic designers. Well, I don't like living in a house where the fridge is full of everyone's crap but mine, and I can fit half a loaf of bread into the freezer. Particularly when all this space is being taken up by someone who thinks that living together is all about sharing (as in, I should share MY space with her stuff) and refuses to eat the same thing two nights in a row- I'm happy to eat the same thing, my cheap cooking strategy is to make large batches of nummies, and thus I feel that I need space in the freezer that she's unfairly utilizing, while her cooking philosophy should see her continously cycling through fresh ingredients, occasionally freeing up some space in the fridge. MY fridge. I think the best part of this week was saying that I was going to start looking for a new place at the end of the month, and that I'd be taking my fridge with me. Yay!!! I mean, there's a downside to all this as well. They lose a fridge, I lose a washing machine. It all balances...
Then again, I can bum getting my clothes washed off my mum more conventiently than say, getting her to store my milk for me
aaah bitching about share housing. You think people can't irritate you any more, and then a new level is reached. Like "hey, we noticed the smoke alarm outside your room needs a new battery yesterday, and it kept us awake during the night, but no, we didn't take the battery out cos we thought you'd enjoy trying to sleep directly under it's incessant beeping". When I get home at 11pm, this does not go down well. Fuck you, you selfish bitch. Get your ladder out of the back and check it out, rather than waiting for it to annoy someone even more, so you don't have to worry about fixing it. GRRRRRRRRRRR.
After walking into my room while I'm away and just helping yourself to my stuff. Good one.
AAAAAAAAAARGH I just put a *coffcrafleoffilthcoff* cd in that I haven't listened to in ages and it's scratched!!! And I don't know how!!!! The only song I'll really miss is their cover of 'No Time to Cry' but I love that song!!! Yes, I love it so much I haven't listened to this disc in years!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH
*insert halo 14 (fragile) left*
4 sleeps until B gets back from living interstate, and counting
Over the weekend I drove S and 2 other friends down the Great Ocean Road, and they saw every rock formation we could find and then some. We also went to Triplet Falls, which were really pretty, once we got there. I beat the hell out of the poor car, and even it's roof is covered in mud. I managed to pop one of the front panels out of place (and jammed my finger forcing it back in) and um, I was scared I'd ripped serious amounts out of the undercarriage- we kind of had an adventure on a 4wd track that had giant rocks loosely packed into the ruts other drivers had left behind when tearing up the track, so these got flung up under the car, and then there were the giant ridges in the middle of the track that I managed to teeter the car carefully on, because the wheels aren't set high enough for us to drive straight over that kind of crazy shit, and then there were the lake size pot holes. Man I missed having a uni hilux to drive about then.
While beating the car up, we saw 2 potoroos and 2 wallabies (not sure which species) and I didn't hit any of them, even after dark on the unsealed road which then met some sealed road then some more unsealed road, which we were following only because it was going east, not because we had any idea where we were. I drove for 11 hours that day, and by the time we got to Moggs Creek where we were crashing at P's house, I was cramped into this kind of driving crouch, and shaking. I blame some of that tension on the being lost, the scary tracks, and then navigating the Great Ocean Road at night, in the wet, when it's one giant stretch of road that strikes the fear of god and imminent painful over the cliff death into my heart.
I think the other part of that tension had everything to do with tense discussions with passengers about how animals should be treated- I sure as hell do NOT agree that chickens need to be kept in cages because that's how it's always been done cos it's most efficient and we just need to accept it so we can keep on eating the way we currently do. WHAT?!?! Nor do I think that it's practical to just suddenly switch all farms over to organic methods, which seemed to be what they thought I was arguing (cue R). I think cage farming should be abolished, sure. But what makes me super angry is the apathy inherent in the idea of 'just accepting' animal cruelty like that. I'm not saying that the standards of 'free range' or 'barn laid' eggs are anything to be proud of, but they're a hell of a lot better than confining and mutilating chickens for the term of their much shortened natural lives.
We also had a brief discussion about lobsters in tanks- i said it was sad that they get their claws bound and then are stacked on top of each other. I say this because the reason for claw binding is that they're highly territorial, and would tear limbs from each other if left free (plus waiters don't like being pinched). So not only are they restrained and placed in a small tank, they're faced with the stress of having 10 other animals in their territory that they are unable to do anything about. Again, I wasn't suggesting that we need giant tanks for every animal, but how about some partitions so they can't interact with each other and get stressed about proximity, relieving the need for their claws to be bound? The response to that was simply that we they're only there for us to eat, and we shouldn't be giving them privileges. I can't believe how arrogant that is!!! Treating an animal humanely is hardly according it privileges, and as far as I can see, animals that are being used for human consumption _SHOULD_ be treated well- to show some serious appreciation for the sacrifice that they're eventually going to make, and from a more anthropocentric viewpoint, to increase their tastiness by decreasing their stress.
I mean shit, people only keep pets so they can use them for company, entertainment, and something furry to hug. Why feel a bond with those species/animals in particular? Why not keep cats in small cage all day, then pull them out when you feel like using them for something to pet, or to kill something for you? That kind of shit (like bonsai kittens) gets people disgusted and yet we as a society treat other animals much worse without a ripple in our collective conscience. How is it that an animal that eats your food, craps in your house, and sheds all over your stuff is treated so much better than animals you couldn't continue to live in your current lifestyle without, if as a species and on an individual level they didn't make huge sacrifices daily? Cows are cute up close, but people don't want to know that. Kangaroos taste great, but some people are even squirmy about eating them. I think there needs to be a consistent level of decency that we treat animals with, whether we're comfortable with eating them/ hugging them/ destroying their habitat.
Yes, there's a lot of things wrong with people as well, and a cure for cancer/HIV would be nice. But you know what? Billions of dollars are already poured into that research, there's constant adds and awareness raising stuff about third world countries, and still SFA is happening to protect animal rights. I think things can only happen in small steps, and as far as animals go, most people aren't even willing to consider that, if it means feeling a little uncomfortable with themselves. I honestly think how a society treats it's animals and natural areas says something serious about people's ability to detach themselves from something horrific, and an enduring apathy that just lets it keep on happening. Holocaust anyone?
Oh, and yes, I eat meat. But at least I care.
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[/rant]
Was that a huge first entry or what?!
***************************************************
I'm probably moving out of my current house in about a month and a half, when the lease expires. Initially I was planning on staying on with one housemate (S) and the b/f (B) after R moved out, but when I spoke to R a couple of days ago, she still hadn't found work, and if she doesn't find work by the end of the month then she can't afford to move out, and I think she's worried that real estate agents don't like leasing houses to unemployed graphic designers. Well, I don't like living in a house where the fridge is full of everyone's crap but mine, and I can fit half a loaf of bread into the freezer. Particularly when all this space is being taken up by someone who thinks that living together is all about sharing (as in, I should share MY space with her stuff) and refuses to eat the same thing two nights in a row- I'm happy to eat the same thing, my cheap cooking strategy is to make large batches of nummies, and thus I feel that I need space in the freezer that she's unfairly utilizing, while her cooking philosophy should see her continously cycling through fresh ingredients, occasionally freeing up some space in the fridge. MY fridge. I think the best part of this week was saying that I was going to start looking for a new place at the end of the month, and that I'd be taking my fridge with me. Yay!!! I mean, there's a downside to all this as well. They lose a fridge, I lose a washing machine. It all balances...
Then again, I can bum getting my clothes washed off my mum more conventiently than say, getting her to store my milk for me
aaah bitching about share housing. You think people can't irritate you any more, and then a new level is reached. Like "hey, we noticed the smoke alarm outside your room needs a new battery yesterday, and it kept us awake during the night, but no, we didn't take the battery out cos we thought you'd enjoy trying to sleep directly under it's incessant beeping". When I get home at 11pm, this does not go down well. Fuck you, you selfish bitch. Get your ladder out of the back and check it out, rather than waiting for it to annoy someone even more, so you don't have to worry about fixing it. GRRRRRRRRRRR.
After walking into my room while I'm away and just helping yourself to my stuff. Good one.
AAAAAAAAAARGH I just put a *coffcrafleoffilthcoff* cd in that I haven't listened to in ages and it's scratched!!! And I don't know how!!!! The only song I'll really miss is their cover of 'No Time to Cry' but I love that song!!! Yes, I love it so much I haven't listened to this disc in years!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH
*insert halo 14 (fragile) left*
4 sleeps until B gets back from living interstate, and counting
Over the weekend I drove S and 2 other friends down the Great Ocean Road, and they saw every rock formation we could find and then some. We also went to Triplet Falls, which were really pretty, once we got there. I beat the hell out of the poor car, and even it's roof is covered in mud. I managed to pop one of the front panels out of place (and jammed my finger forcing it back in) and um, I was scared I'd ripped serious amounts out of the undercarriage- we kind of had an adventure on a 4wd track that had giant rocks loosely packed into the ruts other drivers had left behind when tearing up the track, so these got flung up under the car, and then there were the giant ridges in the middle of the track that I managed to teeter the car carefully on, because the wheels aren't set high enough for us to drive straight over that kind of crazy shit, and then there were the lake size pot holes. Man I missed having a uni hilux to drive about then.
While beating the car up, we saw 2 potoroos and 2 wallabies (not sure which species) and I didn't hit any of them, even after dark on the unsealed road which then met some sealed road then some more unsealed road, which we were following only because it was going east, not because we had any idea where we were. I drove for 11 hours that day, and by the time we got to Moggs Creek where we were crashing at P's house, I was cramped into this kind of driving crouch, and shaking. I blame some of that tension on the being lost, the scary tracks, and then navigating the Great Ocean Road at night, in the wet, when it's one giant stretch of road that strikes the fear of god and imminent painful over the cliff death into my heart.
I think the other part of that tension had everything to do with tense discussions with passengers about how animals should be treated- I sure as hell do NOT agree that chickens need to be kept in cages because that's how it's always been done cos it's most efficient and we just need to accept it so we can keep on eating the way we currently do. WHAT?!?! Nor do I think that it's practical to just suddenly switch all farms over to organic methods, which seemed to be what they thought I was arguing (cue R). I think cage farming should be abolished, sure. But what makes me super angry is the apathy inherent in the idea of 'just accepting' animal cruelty like that. I'm not saying that the standards of 'free range' or 'barn laid' eggs are anything to be proud of, but they're a hell of a lot better than confining and mutilating chickens for the term of their much shortened natural lives.
We also had a brief discussion about lobsters in tanks- i said it was sad that they get their claws bound and then are stacked on top of each other. I say this because the reason for claw binding is that they're highly territorial, and would tear limbs from each other if left free (plus waiters don't like being pinched). So not only are they restrained and placed in a small tank, they're faced with the stress of having 10 other animals in their territory that they are unable to do anything about. Again, I wasn't suggesting that we need giant tanks for every animal, but how about some partitions so they can't interact with each other and get stressed about proximity, relieving the need for their claws to be bound? The response to that was simply that we they're only there for us to eat, and we shouldn't be giving them privileges. I can't believe how arrogant that is!!! Treating an animal humanely is hardly according it privileges, and as far as I can see, animals that are being used for human consumption _SHOULD_ be treated well- to show some serious appreciation for the sacrifice that they're eventually going to make, and from a more anthropocentric viewpoint, to increase their tastiness by decreasing their stress.
I mean shit, people only keep pets so they can use them for company, entertainment, and something furry to hug. Why feel a bond with those species/animals in particular? Why not keep cats in small cage all day, then pull them out when you feel like using them for something to pet, or to kill something for you? That kind of shit (like bonsai kittens) gets people disgusted and yet we as a society treat other animals much worse without a ripple in our collective conscience. How is it that an animal that eats your food, craps in your house, and sheds all over your stuff is treated so much better than animals you couldn't continue to live in your current lifestyle without, if as a species and on an individual level they didn't make huge sacrifices daily? Cows are cute up close, but people don't want to know that. Kangaroos taste great, but some people are even squirmy about eating them. I think there needs to be a consistent level of decency that we treat animals with, whether we're comfortable with eating them/ hugging them/ destroying their habitat.
Yes, there's a lot of things wrong with people as well, and a cure for cancer/HIV would be nice. But you know what? Billions of dollars are already poured into that research, there's constant adds and awareness raising stuff about third world countries, and still SFA is happening to protect animal rights. I think things can only happen in small steps, and as far as animals go, most people aren't even willing to consider that, if it means feeling a little uncomfortable with themselves. I honestly think how a society treats it's animals and natural areas says something serious about people's ability to detach themselves from something horrific, and an enduring apathy that just lets it keep on happening. Holocaust anyone?
Oh, and yes, I eat meat. But at least I care.
***************************************************
[/rant]
Was that a huge first entry or what?!