I Must Confess
I have a huge crush on Sarah Silverman.
But of course, nothing beats a cute Urdu-speaking nerd with big teeth and green eyes 
The Fabulous Destiny of Butters, I
I’m going to transcribe some of my conversations with my friend Saad here. He has ADD, and I might have some autistic traits, though I have never been diagnosed. As such, we have both found ourselves in a predicament with regard to practical success. Interestingly, my problem is an almost complete inability to engage in rapport talk (talking with people, getting to know them), but an overdeveloped ability to engage in report talk (talking at people, informing them of things while they listen). His problem is the exact opposite. For this reason, both of us are unemployed and avoidant when it comes to the practical world (which is often called the ‘real world’ by practical types, but if anything is less real; being more material, temporal and less connected with ultimate reality). We also have the same political compass score.
These conversations are reconstructions based on my memory:
Me: Have you noticed that people like you, me and Y have a kind of innocence?
Saad: What do you mean?
Me: We have an innocence of soul.
Saad: Yeah, I have noticed. But I think everyone has that, to some degree.
—————————————————–
Me: We’re too special to be part of this ridiculous charade of job-hunting and interviews.
Saad: We are, but the thing is, what do we do then?
Me: Avoid it. We can create our own world.
Saad: Where?
Me: Here, in Canada.
Saad: It would be easier in Pakistan. There everyone creates their own world.
PS – The title is based on The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain, a movie I am watching right now, and that I recommend.
Frisky Bunny Yelping
[The term 'jaanu' comes from 'jaan', which means 'life'. It is used the way people here say 'love', 'sweetheart' or 'babe': as a term of endearment.]
Her: actually my “jaanu!” was more like a frisky bunny yelping
not a stern control thing
me: yay
aww
aww! shrieks
frisky bunny yelping!
dies of the cute
Her: lol
I love the cuteness shrieks
me: they descend into madness though
at some point
it’s a finale
Note: the two ‘aww’s are not due to a tendency to repeat myself, though it may seem that way, but are in fact due to my progressive realization of the cuteness of the image. So, the first ‘aww’ was a degree of affection lower than the second, as indicated by my use of an exclamation mark and the fact that I shrieked. I do in fact do this real life.
Yes, I really am that gay.
And the lesbian quote of the year: “The things we do for girlfriends…”
Mental Health and Violence in Palestine
An article I intend to read on the incidence of PTSD in Palestine, and its relationship with terrorism.
My own position on the Israel-Palestine issue — as should be clear by the links under ‘Politics’ in the left-hand margin — is that I am on the Palestinian ‘side’ for the most part, although I have some sympathy with Zionism, and a high regard for the Jewish people (many of whom are against Zionism anyway).
Ideally, Israel should be a secular state, not a Jewish state, and encompass the Palestinians. If that cannot work, then a two-state solution is the next best thing, but for that to work Israel needs to cease its occupation. So yeah, I’m on the ‘Lefty’ side when it comes to this.
New Poll
Scroll down and look in the left margin. It is a poll about people’s belief in God.
This is also an open thread for discussion on the poll.
Veganlogical
I’m not vegan myself, so it might seem strange and hypocritical for me to post this. However, I do respect the vegan lifestyle, and think this is interesting from a vegetarian perspective as well.
“In case you’re not up to speed, over 98% of all meat, dairy, and eggs produced in the US comes from factory farms. The conditions in these places are truly horrendous. Animals are crammed in spaces so tight they can’t turn around. They literally go insane, lying around all day and night in their own feces. They never see sunlight, have their beaks, horns and genitals cut off (without anesthetic) and are horribly abused by stressed and desensitized farm workers. We kill 10 billion animals for “food” a year in this country, that’s over 27 million animals a day. Most of those animals are birds, and all poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks, and rabbits… yes, rabbits are considered poultry under the law) are excluded from the barely enforced Humane Slaughter Act.
Now, before you start at me with some “humane meat” “happy meat” bullshit please take note that all animals, whether they are raised in the nastiest of factory farms or grass-fed, free-range, blah blah blah, are all sent to the same slaughterhouses. That’s right, your organic steer is being sent to the same hell as a downer cow and will meet the same ghastly end. If you are a “humane meat” consumer, please take a moment and meditate on the whole concept of humane killing… bloody, fearful, struggling, screaming, despairing humane killing. It’s never pretty and it certainly isn’t “humane.”
There is a video making rounds on YouTube that shows a lone cow shaking in terror as she contemplates walking down the kill chute. She walks forward, then back. Animals can hear and smell the violence and death that awaits them. Their last moments are ones of abject horror and suffering. If you wouldn’t condemn your dog or cat to such a fate, how can you pay for others do it to these poor animals?
So. When a vegan is talking to a meat-eater about these issues, he or she is not “preaching”, “trying to convert”, or any such thing. We’re not telling you what to eat. We’re telling you what you’re eating.”
