Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts

Monday, 24 June 2013

Everything Is Dirty

I was listening to the radio today and a guy was talking about how gross it is to touch your phone and then eat with your bare hands. Think about all the places you've set your phone down, or how dirty your hands have been while you were holding your phone. Of course, I was listening to this just minutes after I'd held my phone in my teeth for a second while I was looking for my keys. I read something similar about purses and how they're actually the dirtiest things.

But this stuff doesn't really bother me. You can't always think about stuff like that because it just never ends. EVERYTHING IS DIRTY. Examples:

Let's think about eating at the food court in the mall. Maybe you washed your hands before eating, and there's that weird trust we all have in our food preparing associates that they did the same. But is the table you're eating at clean? Is the tray clean? Did those paper plates all fall on the ground but someone picked them up and decided to use them anyways? Did someone sample some food with that fork and then rinse it off and give it to you to use? Did a crazy person dip the plastic forks in the ebola virus while everyone else had their backs turned? The answer to all of these questions: Maybe. You can never be positive that everything is clean. For all you know, the factory that those utensils were made at is crawling with rats and they used the plastic fork boxes as a bathroom. You weren't there, you don't know.

The exact same situation can be applied to straws. Some people won't drink from cans because there might be mouse poop on the tops. How do you know there wasn't a straw accident where hundreds of straws were dropped all over the ground and then people just picked them up and put them in boxes anyways? Employees at Straws Inc. don't give a dingle whether your straws are clean or not, they just want to fix their problem as quickly as possible. And what if the dude who closes all the straw boxes had a runny nose or sneezed or something and got your straws all mucousy? You don't know.

What about in your own house? Is your table clean? I mean, I guess you can clean it and then you'll know it's clean... But is it REALLY clean? You can't see germs. How do you know they're not there? You probably missed only one germ, and it was the one that will kill you. Or something. I know it's not likely at all, but HOW DO YOU KNOW? Is that scary?

I think about my own house. My dog always sets his chin on the table because he thinks it makes him look cute so we'll give him food. But wait... Did he just go outside and munch on a rotting squirrel carcass? Did he just sniff a little too closely to a pile of coyote excrement? I DON'T KNOW. And even worse is that he sleeps in my bed.

The thing is, all you have to do is touch one unclean surface and then touch a clean surface with the same hand/elbow/wrist/forehead and boom, the clean surface is now unclean. Where am I going with this? Stop thinking about germs so much. It's pointless. But you should probably still wash your hands and shower. Use hand sanitizer and cough into your elbow crease, not onto your hands. There are obviously things we can do to prevent spreading more germs, but there is no way to prevent all germs, so why do we think about things like that so much and why do idiot radio hosts think it's a good idea to point out stupid things like this?

Friday, 24 May 2013

Professor McGonagall Watched Me Pee (More Bathroom Talk)

Here's a fun fact that you should know about me: I have a recurring dream (nightmare) about having to pee in a room with a lot of toilets but no stalls. I mean I have this dream probably once a month. And no, it never ends with me peeing my bed, because I never actually get to do any peeing because I'm too busy panicking about all the people who are about to see me void my bladder.

The dream comes in variations. It usually starts with me in a shopping mall or a grocery store or on a train with a giant pool full of inmates on it (that was a particularly strange one.) Then, I realize I have to pee and I find the bathroom, which is usually a maze (and I mean maze like that one windows screensaver that I spent many many minutes as a child just staring at and then I would accidentally bump against the mouse and have to wait five minutes before the screen saver came on again. That kind of maze.) with toilets scattered all over the place and ladies who I don't know happily peeing and chatting with their friends. Is this weird yet? 

Occasionally the dream will consist of only one person potentially seeing me urinate instead of a whole bunch of people. For instance once Professor McGonagall just stared at me while it happened, and another time (even more disturbing) my Grade 6 teacher was there. I don't know if that has something to do with teachers making me feel uncomfortable? I don't really think they do. Freud might say it means I want to sleep with all my teachers or something. But let's not look into that too much.

The conclusion I've drawn is that this dream just represents the kind of feelings I have towards personal stuff like peeing (and other bathroom duties) or maybe even the kind of private person I am all together. Above hiding physical stuff from people, I also like to keep a lot of my emotional stuff on the DL. This may shock a lot of people who have read my tweets or some of my previous blog posts. Yes, I think my dream is just about keeping private stuff private, and not about wanting to copulate with my professors. 

Anyways, I'm currently reading Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris. Excellent read, I suggest you all give it a try. In one of the chapters he describes a trip to Beijing. "My trip reminded me that we are all just animals, that stuff comes out of every hole we have, no matter where we live or how much money we've got. On some level we all know this and manage, quite pleasantly, to shove it towards the back of our minds." He goes on to say that in China they put it all out in the open. Because after all, it's natural. If I had the courage to tell you all the bathroom stories that have caused me immense amounts of stress in my life, I would. But alas, I am not nearly that brave. Because our society has taught us all to pretend that pee and poop don't happen. The hot people on TV's most popular dramas never stop what they're doing because they have intestinal distress. Dexter never tells his victim that he'll BRB because he has to take care of business. They don't show the part in Indiana Jones where he has to squat in the corner of a cave and relieve himself. Even poor Pumbaa sang that whole bit about being exiled because he had frequent gas. 

Western society just doesn't have a place for bathroom business. Even bathrooms aren't safe for doing some bathroom related things. Ever sit in a stall for 20 minutes just waiting for all the other people to leave? (I'm painfully aware that some people do not have this problem.) And thus we are all doomed to walk around with cramps and bubbly pressure for our entire lives (or until we're old and can't hold it in any more.)

Afterthought: I'm aware that pee and poop have become the subject of not one, not two, but three of my posts. It's easy to talk about it when no one is looking you straight in the face and you can just pretend that someone hacked your account and you didn't write a word of it.

Sunday, 7 October 2012

Totally Normal Things That Are Actually Pretty Weird If You Think About It

You know how sometimes you'll way over think the most simple things and all of a sudden they seem totally weird? Here's some things that are so normal, but if you really think about it, they're weird.

- Money. Why does this piece of paper control everything in the world? Like honestly, think about it, it's just a piece of paper that you could crumple up or burn or eat. What if I decided I don't believe in paper money anymore and I refuse to acknowledge it? I would probably just get laughed at but seriously, think about it. A piece of paper rules your life.

- Letting animals live in your house. This is actually totally weird. Dogs are fully capable of ripping us apart in the night, but we trust them not to and (usually) they don't. And rodents? We spend tons of time trying to keep mice and moles and rats out of our homes but then we go buy one and put it in a cage? Crazy. Cats are grumpy and they pee on our stuff but we keep them there (usually) because we've bonded with this creature that can't even talk to us. But they love us (usually) and we feel good because there's someone that needs us and someone who we can cuddle with at the end of the day.

- Dancing. Have you ever stood above a crowd of people dancing and actually watched them carefully? We look ridiculous. Waving our arms around, jiggling stuff that wasn't meant to be jiggled, making unattractive facial expressions. It's silly, really. But it lets out steam, it gives us a chance to forget about our problems and it (sometimes) lures in a potential mate. So we dance.

- High heel shoes. Why do we torture ourselves with uncomfortable footwear? What's the point? I know, it makes lady's legs look like they go up to here. And I know, men used to wear them, yes, I am familiar with portraits of British kings wearing high heels. But I just don't understand WHY. In all seriousness, we look plain silly. If someone was walking around on stilts we would think they were ridiculous, but yet it's totally acceptable to prance around in high heels, which are obviously just an illusion, making us taller. (Back up for a sec, maybe prance wasn't the correct word to use there. When I'm n high heels, it's more like "wobble around in high heels.")

- Tanning. And I don't mean in a tanning bed (Tanning beds aren't weird, they're pretty much just stupid.) I mean laying outside for hours in the crazy heat, sweating all over your Jodi Picoult book and slapping away the flies and bees. What's the point? So that we can create the illusion that we actually go outside and do stuff? Because laying on a towel by the pool isn't really considered going outside and "doing stuff." I imagine no one wants to be pasty white, and this is understandable, but why can't you just be yourself? (I suppose I can say this because I am not naturally the colour of paper like some people are, so I apologise if you have a different opinion.) Maybe it's because we have so much spare time, maybe it's so we don't look like we've been shut in our homes on the internet for weeks, or maybe it's so we look more ethnic and interesting. Whatever the reason, tanning is strange, there's no doubt about it.

- Decorating. You do it and I do it and we all do it, but when you think about it, it's dumb. Yeah, it's nice to have pretty things to look at when you're in your home. And when people show up at your house, you want to be able to show off all the nice things you have. But when you really think about the whole practise, it's wasteful. It wastes time, it wastes money, it wastes resources, it wastes space. And then whenever a new season or holiday comes along you buy more stuff to decorate with because you don't want to forget that it's Halloween, so you better put that goofy skeleton up on the wall.

- Scary movies. Humans are now so boring and safe that we have to scare ourselves with movies and games just so we can get that little adrenaline rush and feel a little unsafe. What? This is ridiculous. I feel like if creatures came from another planet and watched us do this to ourselves they would think we were insane. And maybe we are a little bit. I read somewhere once that one of the reasons we watch horror movies is to try to live the way that a psychopath or killer would live, or at least understand it. So don't tell me that humans aren't all a little bit crazy.

- Amusement parks. This is basically a similar concept to scary movies. Humans no longer have to escape large animals or go on amazing adventures or explore the planet at all anymore so where do we get our thrills? We jump onto holy-jeepers-that-was-expensive roller coasters and does anyone REALLY even like it? Like really? The point of a roller coaster is to make you uncomfortable and afraid, isn't it? So we basically put ourselves onto a giant metal machine that whips us around at crazy speeds and if ONE thing goes wrong then we'll more than likely be dead. Yes, that sounds like a very sane way to pass the time.

- Hair removal. Okay, I don't want to be super hairy or anything, but really, this stuff is natural, why are we so determined to get rid of it? It's there for a reason (or at least, it used to be.) But these days, beauty can be measured by how little hair you have on your body, right? And it's a lot of work. You get it all under control and then the next thing you know your legs are prickly and you're on your way to being Chewbacca again.

Friday, 14 September 2012

19ish Reasons That It Would Be So Cool To Be A Cat

1. Insta-naps. Lay down, fall asleep. Sleep all day.

2. Your food is just there for you. And it comes in all those tasty flavours like chicken and tuna.

3. Having a tail.

4. String is no longer boring. Now, it's the best toy ever.

5. Climbing trees like an absolute tree-climbing boss.

5. Sharp claws/teeth.

6. You don't have to worry about knowing how to count.

7. You're super fluffy and everyone loves you for that. (Unless you're hairless, which would be unfortunate.)

8. You're a YouTube sensation, probably.

9. Mice are at your mercy AND they're a tasty snack.

10. You're secretly taking over the world but humans have no idea.

11. Stretching looks way more amazing and satisfying when a cat does it.

12. Dogs won't admit it but, yeah, they're scared of you.

13. Everything is a super fun toy.

14. You rarely get put on a leash or dressed in dumb outfits like dogs are. (Although there are exceptions.)

15. Your paws are small enough to type on a computer.

16. Everything is a comfy bed. You will sleep anywhere.

17. Your pee pretty much has the power to destroy everyone and everything.

18. You don't have to wear pants.

19. Even the most terrible/evil/tough people secretly love cats, and will cuddle with you AND talk to you in a baby voice, as long as no one can see them and judge them.

Thursday, 14 June 2012

Cosmetics are the Biggest Waste EVER.

I have no idea who reads this and who doesn't, but the important thing to know before we start off this rant is that I wear zero makeup. Nothing. The only exception to this is grade 8 grad and prom. Oh, and a few unfortunate acne days where coverup was necessary for me to function. Wait! Stop right there. That's the perfect sentence to sum up the problem with cosmetics. They're necessary for some people to function. But why?

Makeup (and other junk in the makeup family) is the most wasteful product there is (this is my opinion so it's obviously right.) At least plastic bags carry stuff and can be used again (Side note - Toronto is attempting to ban plastic bags. What are they going to put in the little garbage cans in the bathroom then?) Same with bottles. They can be recycled, and at least they had a purpose to begin with. These are the products people are concerned about, but no one ever mentions makeup and how it's totally pointless. Hold it, ladies who want to argue with me, I haven't explained myself yet.

Makeup is virtually pointless. Okay, so you have bags under your eyes or maybe you emerged from the more unfortunate end of the gene pool but so what? Eventually, the people who you love (I'm talking about men, dummies) are going to see you without makeup, and they're going to have to deal with what you really look like. So why lie to them with makeup in the first place? (That's right, I said LIE.) I place makeup in the same category as the pushup bra. The LIE category.

"But if I don't wear makeup he's going to go for that hot looking chick who is wearing makeup." This is true. Maybe someday women will give up on makeup and this won't be an issue. But until then, yes, you may lose some conquests to that girl with the glittery eyelashes. But don't worry, because their relationship will be built on LIES and will end in a messy breakup, broken dishes and running mascara. (Did I just point out ANOTHER bonus of no makeup?)

Okay, but here's where we start with the real issues. Resources, duh! Think about the stuff that goes into making makeup, and don't even get me started on the packaging. Ugh, it's so frustrating how much stuff is wasted. And then think about all the stuff that you buy but you never use. And it's expensive (I assume, as I've never bought my own.)

This brings us to money. Did you know that the amount of money spent on cosmetics in one year (that would be about 7 billion dollars, I did the research for you) could be used to fund education for more than a billion African children? Now you feel like a total jerk, don't you? But let's bring it back and talk about something a little closer to home. How about those people who are on welfare, or with crappy jobs who complain that they don't have a lot of money. Well, excuse me, lady, but I don't give a flying fingernail file about your problem if you're wearing a ton of makeup (I'll make this same annoyed statement if I ever choose to write about lottery tickets.) Obviously you have enough money to pay for your glitter. (This is being too hypocritical, maybe, but leave me alone, I'm proving a point.)

Of course, you can apply everything I've said to home renovations and decorations, clothing and gardens and this blog too. It's about looking good and feeling good, right? I'm just saying, it's not that important, and if we all stopped bothering with it, then it wouldn't matter. People would be beautiful just the way they are and blah blah blah. And we would have billions of extra dollars kicking around and WAY less monkeys running around with shiny red lips and pink nails. Right? Right. I know this hasn't convinced any of you, but I had to get it out of my brain.

Alene


Monday, 4 June 2012

Everybody Wants To Be A Cat - Reasons I Should Get A Cat

My brothers and I are in the process of convincing our mother that we need a new cat, as our current feline is getting a bit old and a lot grouchy. So, here are the 10 best reasons I can think of for getting a cat.

1. The possibilities of hilarious shenanigans are endless. Oh look, the cat is eating the aloe vera plant. Cute! The cat just puked up aloe vera plant! And that's probably just the beginning of the craziness that a young, hip cat would bring to the house!

2. For some reason, once you've experienced cat hair in all of your food, there's just something a little off about food without cat hair. It just adds a special something, you know?

3. The ciiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiife! Reenacting the classic Lion King moment just isn't the same if you're using a dog or a stuffed animal or someone's kid.

4. Naps with cats. That furry little body is the best for cuddling. Experience a real cat nap.

5. Cat's powerful claws provide many important services such as vermin extermination and furniture remodelling.

6. Cats very rarely sniff butts like stuuuupid dogs.

7. Remember all your unused flashlights?! Cats provide hours of flashlight fun. Just point at the floor and be entertained. (Batteries not included.)

8. You're not not gonna make your cat dance on tables and play the drums to entertain your guests. Have all the BEST parties!

9. If you're like me, you HATE all the effort it takes to unroll the toilet paper every time. Cats are the ultimate time and energy savers. They'll unravel the toilet paper for you at the low low price of a scratch between the ears and a fresh fish.

10. Cats are basically little tigers, and that's pretty cool.

And feel free to mention any other reasons you can think of. Mother needs convincing!