"never leave home without Betty & Pansy"!

Too much doom and gloom, my friends.

Too much doom and gloom.

It's funny (funny strange, not funny haha) how when you're focused on something, suddenly references to that particular thing are everywhere. What am I talking about? Well today, kids, I'm referring to life. I've been contemplating, as of late, how our society values life. Human life, animal life... all of it. It's an interesting thing to ponder. How do you value life? What lives do you consider to be valuable? When do you let atrocities to a beings life 'slide' because of convenience?

So here's something. Turn and look into the eyes of the closest animal to you. Dog, cat, squirrel outside the window... whichever. Look in its eyes and tell me if you think that on some level, this animal feels. Has some form, if not humble in comparison to your own, of consciousness. What do you think? Now google factory farms. Tell me what you think (seriously).

This has been what I've been reading about. Yep. We've moved from the near-extinction of whales, the killing of dolphins, on to the factory farms that provide most of the modern world with its meat. Hmmmm... So what have you learned nicole, you may ask? Maybe you wouldn't really ask that... Well I've learned the following:

• People can dismiss the mistreatment of life because it isn't on their front doorstep
• Money, convenience and the economy are often viewed as more important than moral decency (in regards to animals, as well as wars on foreign soil, it would seem)
• Pigs in factory farms never see sunshine
• They (you can all them 'ham') are given only enough room to stand; often causing their legs to become weak and break
• They live a short life full of fear, small cramped spaces, and then meet a death that... well...
• The pigs are stunned, then strung up, their throats are slit... followed by being dunked in scalding hot water to remove the hair... oftentimes (because 2000 might be slaughtered in an hour) they aren't properly stunned or killed before being dunked into the boiling water. Can you imagine?! *sigh*

So while reading this book (definately not a great bedtime story), I've noticed other references of people having to choose between their finances/convenience versus life. Would you ever discuss the lives of animals as units of production? Please meet Sheena, house pet and one unit of production. Gah. Economy. Science. Genetic modification to eliminate the "stress gene" that makes the animals fearful or skiddish to meet their death (while at the same time, denying that they feel at all). Negative effects to customer satisfaction. Gross.

That is me. Too much doom and gloom. Factory farms, the value of life, new US torture bill (have you read about this?)... Yuk yuk yuk.

In nicole and ryan news... OUR lives may be changing direction.

The studio instituted some new rules (SURPRISE!) that penalize one for taking leave. Sadly for me, I've already bought my tickets for Thailand. Unauthorized leave. Which would cost me 500NT - 2 classes worth of pay for every 1 class that I miss. Gross. So I have some figuring out to do. The new plan could be to stay in Thailand for a month, return to Taiwan for the Sharon Gannon and David Life workshop, and then back to Canada for Christmas (!!!). Moms just jumped for joy, didn't they?! Ryan is missing Sheena, and I'm missing everything that is home... so we'll have to see. The new plan is definately looking scrumptious.

Alright, on a more CHEERFUL NOTE, what have you been doing that brings joy to your life? I've been:

• Playing the promo DOA video game with Ryan, in the hallway at the movie theatre
• Watching Sarah (yep, Carter) in the DOA movie... on the big screen, my friends
• Eating peanut butter sandwiches
• Listening to Ani Difranco
• Making delicious stir-fry and eating it with chopsticks (with the bowl to my face and everything!)

I hope you are all well. I miss you. I love you. Keep it realz yo. :) xx. -n.


P.S. ---> Is it cold in Canada in December?? :) :)