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Which creature of the night are you? Your Result: Werewolf You are a vicious fighter and a vicious lover, absolutely dedicated to your pack. You are pushed to anger by disloyalty and injustice and have a tendency toward sudden, periodic bursts of wild behavior.
Vampire
Sorceror
Demon
Cthulu Spawn
Incubus/Succubus
Ghost
Which creature of the night are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Star Fish

We had to dissect a starfish in my Biology lab the other day and, well, dissection in general bothers me to a high degree. I can’t say I’m squeamish, as it’s not the gore that bothers me. I remember watching a dissection of a beaver as a kid, and it didn’t bother me a bit. It’s the idea of killing an animal for curiosity that really bugs me. I don’t see the necessity of this animal dying, just so I can get a peak inside its body, especially when a picture would be just as, if not more, effective.

So, I was trying to verbalize this feeling to a classmate who was actually listening (as in, was interested in what I was saying, not just smiling & nodding. If she was doing that, I would have shut up sooner) and another classmate of mine, a kid, really, says that we have the right to kill and dissect these animals (we’re doing rats & quails later, sigh) because we are more intelligent. This really bothered me (made me spitting mad, really), but of course, I couldn’t put a definite reason as to why.

Well, I figured it out. I was listening to Canada Live to Nathan Rogers sing a song about the Heron Indians, and the horrors done to them in the name of good intentions. When the British and French got to Canada, they saw the Indians and saw people that lived much simpler than them and automatically thought that they were more intelligent. As such they thought that they could do what they wanted to them. They lied, cheated, killed, and kidnapped their children in the name of superiority.

Being more intelligent, superior in some way, does not give us the right to take advantage of anyone else. If anything, because we know better, we should be held to a greater degree of accountability for the world around us.

Every life is worthwhile and deserves respect. I really don’t see how the mass killing of starfish and quail and even rats just for our curiosity is right. It really just strikes me as one of those inherently WRONG things in life.

To understand further, it’s not that I’m vegetarian. I’m still all for eating meat, because it’s useful, and natural. Seriously, when have you seen a wolf prying apart a rabbit, just to see what’s inside. Although, I am completely against the mass farming our society has gotten its self into. Ideally, I like the free-range idea or hunting for my own food (mmmm, more like someone hunting for me, maybe. I guess I have to admit to a bit of squeamishness). But there is a balance there. I am dependant on the other animal for my well-being; it’s not pleasant, but necessary.

I just don’t see the necessity in dissection for me; and maybe it is a personal thing. Some people don’t know much about the body as I do as a former massage therapist and daughter of a doctor. I also don’t see the need for dissection if I am not going into a field related to the anatomy of animals. This is a first year biology course, for heaven sake. Why does everyone interest in the sciences have to do this. Pictures would work fine for botanists or geologists. Save the hands on work for the second year, for pitty sakes. I can totally see the need to learn anatomy in such an intimate way in that kind course.

OK, I’m starting to rant a bit more than I intended, so I’ll quit now.

It's been too long, hasn't it?

First, I need to update that all is well again. My student loan has gone through, I have money, I am eating real food again (although, I really should go shopping this weekend). Nothing like a little crisis to remind you what is important. Date squares and Lattes are not important.

School has started again as well, which has meant a shift in my life. For the first time in about 4 1/2 years, I don't get up and go to my job at PSS anymore. I still get up and go to the gym, but then it's back home for my second breakfast, and off to school for a full day. It's kinda fun, actually. I've got a nice break in the afternoon and, remarkably enough, I have been reviewing my notes and studying during the break (mostly). This full-time-classes thing seems to be working out for me. It's nice. For the first time in 2 years (other than this fantastic summer) I fairly relaxed through the day, instead of a chicken with it's head cut off. Apparently, that is a bad way to live, note taken.

Than is not to say that I have loads of time on my hands. You may have notice a lack of material on the blog. Frankly, I barely have the time to check my email; and when I do, I hardly want to spend it infront of a computer (unless it's watching the show du jour - Farscape). I will try to be back here a little more often. I just need to get a rhythm going.

Gibson's Fibre Arts Festival (or my weekend)

This past weekend I went to Gibson's for the annual Fibre Arts Festival. This was my second time there, and the only reason it wasn't as good as last year was because my friend Jel couldn't make it. We had a hoot last year, freaking out the muggles on the seabus & ferry with our knitting & spinning.

This year was nice thought. I got to hang out with my "adopitve parents", Reg & Mary, who I have been neglecting since last year! Hopefully this year I will remember that I don't need an excuse to visit them.



Here's Reg falling in love with a Saori No Mori loom.

One of my favorite parts of going to Gibson's is getting there.
I am totally in love with the ferry ride.
I generally stare out the window regardless of where I am travelling, but for this trip, it's especially rewarding. The view is absolutely spectaculare.

The way to Gibson's was cloudy, but nice, great for taking pictures.







The way home was what one might call miserable, but I spent the whole time on the deck, getting soaking wet. Who cares when you have a view like this?





The cloudy, rainy weather makes for some great misty mountain shots.

All I want for Christmas

I went to the Twisted Spindlesters meet up on Wednesday (third Wednesday of every month at Rhizome cafe) where I met Jeff Birch of Fibres Plus (our local fibre pusher) and he had this with him.



The Hitchhiker spinning wheel. Just the coolest spinning wheel that is small & portable (good for my shoe box of an apartment) and in a price range that I consider affordable - about $300 compared to $700 for the Ashford Joy, another portable spinning wheel.

I want.

do i really want to say this outloud?

I screwed up, and I really don't want to say anything because people I know might read this. Like my sister. This would be why I didn't write anything here for the last little while, sorry about that.

The story would be about how I forgot to apply for student loans till just 3 days before tuition was due, and got myself in such a pickle last week that I am eating oatmeal for the next 3 weeks. Mmmm, oatmeal.

I do need to say a huge Thanks to my friend Jel, who said that she would back me up if I needed it. Thankfully, I didn't and so far don't, but just being there, just saying it, is huge to me. Thank you.

Another big thanks goes to my landlord, who, while teasing me mercilessly about it, is giving me an extension on my rent.

So, my tuition is paid and I have enough money & food in my fridge that I won't go hungry till my student loan goes through. All is well. Nothing like a little adrenaline to get the heart going and make you look at your life again. I must say that, despite my stupidity, my life is pretty darn good.

In other news, it's the Gibsons Landing Fibre Arts Festival this weekend and I'm going up to visit some friends and check out the fibre. Wish me luck on not buying anything. :P