Tuesday, January 20, 2009

SealHunt Musings

***WARNING: SOME MAY BE OFFENDED***

It is that time of year again when there is an uproar about the killing of the overpopulated Harp seals living off the coast of Newfoundland. It's quite amazing how some people will look at pictures of a dead animal, and without learning the facts of the hunt (not the slaughter) create such an uninformed cry to put an end to it. Shamefully, I was one of those ignorant people who would take one look at a picture of a dead baby Harp seal, and cried out that this was an injustice. But I was made aware by more informed people about what is going on.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm about as big a treehugger as any other. Don't ever get me started on why whales should not be hunted.

The killing of baby Harps in Newfoundland, and ALL of Canada is ILLEGAL. The humane killing of adult Harp seals IS legal.
There are 517,900 people living in Newfoundland, and 4,700,000 Harp seals frequent the Newfoundland coastal waters, consuming 88,000 pounds of cod, which isn't even their preferred fish.

The killing of baby seals is just as illegal as the killing of whales in Canadian waters, and I am against BABY seals being killed, but the seal hunt must continue. There are too many seals, and if we do not control their numbers the whole ecosystem will be ruined, as the idiot government fools allowed other countries to fish our waters, depleting the numbers of fish. It is much like hunting deer in the Northern States, and in Canada. It is a necessity, because, as humans, we have already ruined their habitat, and to let them overpopulate what is left, will ruin it.

If we do not kill these animals (with all parts used, no doubt. From what I hear, you aren't a Newfoundlander, unless you've eaten a seal flipper pie ;)) they will overpopulate the waters, eating all of the fish, and starve themselves to death.

For the record, I have seen two adolescent Harp seals up close, and personal, in a tank on a little island off the Quebec coast, Les Iles de la Madeleine. They are a bit... scary looking, to say the least. And from what I was told (in French, mind you) these creatures, when fully grown are actually quite dangerous. I, as a tourist, bought a necklace with a seal claw (hell yes, they have claws, what did you think they were, fish?) on it, and trust me when I say it's quite sharp. Did you know that female Harp seals do not lose their white fur until the age of twelve? It’s the age of seven for males. They only live 35 years, so I’m pretty sure it is safe to say that a 12 year old seal is not a pup.

No matter what I say, even if I start complaining about how we depleted the whale populations to a mere percent of what is used to be, therefore leaving the Harp seal with no truly visible enemy (transient orcas) other than ourselves, I can not even remotely begin to explain things the way a true Newfoundlander might be able to.

So instead, I shall get off my soap box, and give to you the words of a man who grew up with the seal hunt, unlike the rest of us. This was written in 2006 during the season the seal hunt took place, and Paul McCartney and his wife helped PETA, and the American SPCA to try and put a stop to the hunt of an overpopulated species.

***

March 2, 2006
Tour Diary St. John's, NL
Home

Paul McCartney was in St. John's yesterday. Cool, eh? I bet he was in town to check out the cool musical historical connections between this worldly sea port and his own home town of Liverpool in England. Or maybe he was here to show support for struggling coastal communities near flattened by the globalization of the fishing industry.

No. Paul and his wife, Ms. Mills-McCartney were just stopping over on their way to PEI from where they will fly over the ice in search of an opportunity to hug a cute baby seal and mug for photographers. Much ado has been made in the media today about the arguments for and against the seal hunt. Many marine biologists and educated members of the fishing industry have duked, and will continue to duke, it out with members of environmental and animal rights groups that range from practical and sensible to fanatical and downright criminal. These people are much more qualified for the finer points of these debates than I, and I suspect most of us.

My opinion, I suspect, is shared by many. I think killing seals is cruel and ugly work. I think killing rabbits, moose, cows, chickens, and anything else with a pulse, is cruel and ugly work. I have never done it.

I, like many, accept that there are circumstances on Planet Earth where choosing to be a vegetarian is not an option. If you live, or certainly if you lived a few decades ago, in a coastal community in Newfoundland and Labrador, during the winter months, you'd have hard time finding an avocado salad.

I, like most, also accept that in this day and age animals are hunted and farmed for food, clothes, medicine, and a variety of commercial reasons. I, like most, expect that these industries be closely regulated and scrutinized and act in a humane and environmentally responsible fashion. Simply put, I don't want animals to suffer inhumane lives or deaths, and I don't want commercial hunting or fishing to result in the endangerment or extinction of a species.

From what I understand from respected individuals in the beef industry, the vast majority of cattle farmers act in a humane and responsible fashion and no one dares suggest anything else. Oprah was almost crucified in the US for questioning the American beef industry.

From what I understand from respected individuals in the sealing industry, the vast majority of sealers act in a humane and responsible fashion. Yet Paul McCartney is not one bit shy about throwing his considerable weight behind a campaign to have the Prime Minister put an end to the seal hunt. Moreover, he seems perfectly willing to pose for a propaganda photo with a baby seal on behalf of the Humane society of the United States no doubt aiding the organizations fundraising efforts for a long time.

Now I've got nothing against the Humane Society and I don't wish to make the lives of the inhumane easier by casting doubts towards on the Humane Society's efforts. But this photo-op will be misleading to the public and unfair to the humane and responsible sealers in small struggling communities everywhere as there has not been a cute and cuddly baby seal hunt in a long long time. Older harp seals are what the sealers are after but I'll bet these much uglier dudes won't make the final photo.

But Paul is a smart, worldly man who is well versed in Newfoundland and Labrador history and economics, right? I am sure Mr. McCartney has considered all the above before he agreed to this photo opportunity today, right? If so, lets call this what it is. Mr. McCartney has thought it through and chosen seals over sealers, regardless of whether these sealers are humane and responsible. He is voting for fundraising for the Humane Society over the continued existence of Coastal Communities of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Well, Mr. and Ms. McCartney, enjoy your trip to Atlantic Canada. If your efforts today are really successful, there may be a few less towns to see next time you stop by.

Cheers
Alan Doyle
Great Big Sea


What else am I supposed to say? I know at least one friend will not support my view at all and that is fine. Her idea is to stop the slaughter of all animals, and I have a different view. Sure, we’re sort of on the same page. We both want to help save the animals… but I have chosen a road less traveled when believing in animal rights. I choose to only help those in dire need. Those who are in peril of becoming extinct.

I am not a vegetarian. I am of the belief that we, as omnivores, need to eat meat. Our incisors are proof that we were made to eat meat. Those teeth are made for ripping into flesh, not fauna. Bears are omnivores. They eat vegetables and meat. I don’t see them becoming vegetarians.

I understand the morals that go into becoming a vegetarian. Honestly, I do. I don’t agree with them, but I understand them, and respect them.

However, I do not appreciate vegetarians pulling a “Catholic” move. Yes, I said it. A Catholic move. “My religion is right, and yours is wrong so you’re going to hell. I understand not all Catholics feel this way, but most (especially the leaders of this religion) do. But that is neither here nor there. What I’m trying to get at is that some vegetarians will start “spreading the word” about veganism and why it is “wrong” to eat meat. I don’t appreciate it, just like I don’t appreciate being told I’m going to hell, or that my opinion doesn’t matter because I’m just a little girl.

And the thing that gets me the most about the arguments on the seal hunt is that these people are claiming that we’re doing it only for the fur! I agree that it’s a major reason as to why the seal hunt goes on, but it is not the only reason! Think of these: overpopulation, meat, under-population of fish stocks, fishermen who have no other option for income.

And trying to make the seal hunt illegal because of those poor white-coats? Sigh… poaching will continue whether the adults are legal to kill or not.

Don't get me wrong, please. I generally hate humans. We killed whales for nothing but the oil, and fat, and left the rest of the carcass to rot in the sand. We killed whales so that one species that was bountiful, and swam in the oceans in great numbers has been reduced to a measly 400 Northern Right Whales.

I ask you, why use your energy to help save a species that has over four million numbers alone? Why not try and make a difference with a species that's actually on the brink of extinction?

Monday, January 19, 2009

Musings about Smiling

Smiling.

Such an easy thing to do, and so many people don’t even think about it, or the meaning that is put into it.

Would it be surprising to say that the job I probably enjoyed the most throughout my short yet job-filled life was the one in which I smiled at people the most? I spent 8 hours of my day leaning out of a window, passing out coffee, soup, donuts, and smiles. And for every smile I passed out, I would get a smile in return. And you know, despite that I started those smiles at six in the morning on most days, I never felt more at home in a job then when I was making others smile, and brightening their day a tiny bit. I was, after all, handing to them, through a car window, the sustenance that woke them up each morning.

And the reason I was really in no mood to leave that job? I was enjoying myself. For the most part, I loved my coworkers. I still go back to visit some of them every few months when I’m in town. And most of the customers rocked. Sure there were your average pervs, assholes, and grumpy jerktrouts, but all in all, I got a smile out of each and every person when I smiled and said good morning.

A few months ago I had to drag my butt down to a shipping company to pick up a package from “ThinkGeek”, and once there had to deal with the front desk clerk. Certainly not a problem. Of course, the entire time I talked to him, I was smiling. As I was leaving the building, he told me to never lose my smile. Well, I promptly went home, and bawled my eyes out because of an entirely different reason, but we all have our moments when we feel like we have nothing to live for. Thankfully, those are few and far between for me. I can always find a reason to smile.

People need to smile more. There is not enough smiling in this day and age. Everyone complains about this, and that, and their mother-in-law. If people spent half the time they took to complain, and used that time to think happier thoughts, we’d all be a little less cranky in the morning, and we would be less likely to quip rude remarks at each other.

It’s one thing to use sarcasm. It’s another to roll your eyes at someone, and flip them the bird.

Why can’t we all just stop and be thankful for being alive, for being able to do the things we do, for being a unique individual? If we stopped taking everything for granted, we’d all realize that each and every one of us has a reason to smile.

I don’t care if your heart is breaking. And I don’t care if you’ve lost all your money. And I really don’t care if you’ve lost your job, you can’t go see the concert you want to see, your best friend moved away, you’ve broken your TV, the bus drivers are on strike, or you’ve spent all your money gambling.

Stop it.

Just… stop.

Stop. Pause. Stand still. Look around. Breathe. Blink. Touch. Feel.

Stop.

Forget everything that is bringing you down. You are, to a point, in control of what you feel. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop being angry at the world. Stop blaming yourself, others, the world on your misfortune. That’s the thing, really. You’re too busy putting blame on people for why you aren’t happy. I blame you. I blame me. I blame that thing called God. I blame you for not looking at the good things in life. I blame me for not trying to make you see the good things in life. I blame God for creating you in a fashion that it makes it so damn hard for you to see the good things in life.

But you know what? I also blame no one.

It is up to you to take those steps to being happy. Stop drowning in your sorrow. I know how it feels. I’ve been there, I’ve done that. I hated it, and never want to be in that situation again. However, I know I will be. We all have to make brave first steps, and sometimes going out on a limb will cause us to fall back down to the ground. And it hurts. But once we’ve known that we can hurt, and feel better afterward, it makes the healing process a little bit easier.

I know this pain will soon end. So instead of wallowing in it, think of the better things in life. How does that song go?

“I’ve got a smile on my face, and I’ve got four walls around me.”

Not a day goes by that I don’t step out into the Ottawa air, look around me, and be thankful that I am where I am now. I would not change a thing. In time, I know I shall move on. But for now, I am just thankful I am alive, and that nature is alive all around me.

Once you are able to be thankful for the things that really matter in life, it is then that you will learn just how important smiling is.

And that with a smile you can change a world – even if it is just your world.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Musings of Anon.

It’s amazing, don’t you think?

To be incapable of thinking of someone without feeling bothered, without seeing red, without wanting to rip your hair out, and let loose a cry of despair.

Isn’t it?

Just the thought of that one person ruins your whole day. You were going along fine, and then something reminds you of them, and suddenly you can’t think straight, and you wish you had never made the mistake of even talking to them, let alone letting them into your life completely.

How can one person cause such grief in your life when they aren’t even there? It’s not fair. It simply… is not… fair.

But then one day… one day in the future… you move on.

How is it that up until November 1st, thinking about you hurt? And how is it, from November 1st until about the middle of December the thought of you produced nothing but detached thoughts? And now. Now I can think about you, smile, and remember all of the good times, without feeling sorrow?

Why is it that the thought of you is having the opposite effect on me?

Curse you and everything you stand for.

But I sit here, and I ponder. How is it that the only way I can move on from hating you is to learn to ‘love’ someone else? And when that ‘love’ ends, when I finally look back on you, I can look back with fond memories, and a small smile upon my face? Is this the only way I will ever be able to heal from such instances?

And isn’t that such a shame?

That it took almost half a year to finally get over what you did. Because there were so many good memories that I wasn’t allowing myself to think about, because when I thought about you my breathing grew rapid and shallow, and I couldn’t think straight.

Finally, I am able to think straight – and my God, I’m starting to realize that I learned so much about myself when I was with you.

Perhaps the line, “Better as a memory than as your man” rings true in this situation, but my God… the memory that you are. I will never forget you, and what you stand for. You made almost three whole months of my life crazy exciting.

Thank you.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Troll Musing

I understand trolls – to a certain extent. In fact, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve trolled a few boards in my time. I can understand how trolls tick. Most of them are just assholes. They come in, they troll a board (generally with porn), get banned, laugh mischievously because they have a floating IP, log off, log back on, and reregister to troll again. Trolls like this can be the downfall of message boards. I know. I’ve seen it happen. And this is where counter-trolls come in.

Have you ever been part of forum wars? Real forum wars? Where Bob pisses off Larry on message board A, but Larry knows Bob owns his own message board, and so he and a couple of buddies traipse on over there to troll the place up. Larry quickly bans the trolls, gathers his own elite army of counter-trolls, and goes back to board A to troll that board. It could go on forever or end in a matter of minutes.

Larry and Bob eventually make up. And then, since they’re on some sort of trolling spree, they decide to pick a random board off the internet (would a boy band message board suffice? Of course!) and off they go with their two groups of trolls and just flood the board with horrid messages.

Yes.

These things do happen. I know. From first hand experience.

Now, I’m happy to say I’ve moved on from this childish behaviour. In fact, when I was doing this, I was only 18 years old. Did I really know better? Probably. But in my own defence, I was in Larry’s group. We were initially counter-trolling. I know, no excuse. But what can you do?

I say if you’re going to be a troll, you should do it uniquely. My trolling techniques were never… how do you say this? Normal… I would rarely post porn. No, not porn. Porn is so… boring, so mundane, so average.

The first time I trolled, I was silly enough. I posted random lyrics from one of my favourite bands (that is virtually unknown). I flooded the board well enough. Got a post in each forum on the board. I was banned within ten minutes. Rejoined, using the same IP, and started over again. Banned again. This time they banned my IP. Smart people.

The second time I went trolling, I had a little more fun. I had access to Kirk/Spock slash graphic manipulations, and I used them all over a board where a few members had wreaked havoc upon the board I frequented. No staff were around to stop me, and I managed to put up a fair amount of disturbing photos of Kirk and Spock making out behind trees, and Spock with his shirt off, and Kirk staring longingly at the Vulcan.

The world is a messed up place.

I do not condone trolling. In fact, I am highly against it. See? People can change! I was never a bad person. My trolling was done light-heartedly, which would explain why the topics of my trolling were not very offensive at all. Well, except to the homophobic. Or the people who detest Star Trek.

And quite honestly, the second time I trolled – they never banned me! They deleted everything we had posted, and I was back the next day able to post more! But I didn’t. Once was enough.

Okay, so I ran with the wrong crowd once upon a time. I don’t anymore. I don’t approve of trolling, I am 100% against it. It’s rude, it’s annoying, and it should not be allowed. But we’ll never stop it. And sometimes there is a reason behind it, while other times it just comes out of nowhere.

People. Stop trolling. Enough is enough.

Let’s all be adults.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Promotional Musings

Okay, enough with the musings already.

Please, don’t shoot me for saying that!

I love to muse, but sometimes I need to read other people’s musings, or perhaps I just need to laugh my arse off. Or perhaps I want to interact with other people. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that!

But I want to share these things with you, Constant Reader!

Customers Suck
This is by far my favourite board to lurk. It is the only message board that I go to weekly to read posts to ease my own pain, make me scowl at sucky people, and in general entertain me. I rarely post, and when I do it is generally a long-winded rant about some fool who called in when I was working at a call centre for a large phone and internet provider.

I don’t normally lurk at a board. I’m either posting or I’m not there at all. But this board is special. I no longer work in public service. I no longer have customers. So the only thing I can really complain about would be coworkers, and that’s really not what this message board (and website) is for. So I spend a lot of time reading other people’s horror stories, especially those of Gravekeeper. Gravekeeper, is by far, the best poster on this message board. I laugh, I cry, I cringe. His posts are always epic, and I can relate to many of them as he works in a call centre. And did I mention that Gravekeeper is Canadian? It only makes sense that his posts would be as epic as they are.

I strongly suggest you take a moment to go check out this message board. Almost everyone can related to the posts found there.

FailBlog
Who doesn’t want a great big helping of Fail?

I’ll admit that some of these pictures and videos are distasteful, but some of this stuff leaves me falling off my chair laughing. I’m not kidding! If you want to see a fail of any sort, go to this site. People walking into poles, bad translations, spelling fails. It seriously is hilarious – but only if you like seeing people embarrass themselves.

Renegades of the FBI
This is now my home away from home. It used to be another message board, but I no longer feel comfortable there. I like posting here. It is a message board dedicated to the X-Files, and shows and topics related to it. Since my favourite show is the X-Files (as if you didn’t know that) is it any surprise that I enjoy posting here?

Not only is the topic great, but the members are awesome, and remind me of an old message board I used to frequent way back in the day (2004). Everyone is friendly and helpful, and I don’t feel like I’m going to be attacked just because I don’t agree with everything they think. In fact, it kind of feels like family.

Doggett House
I hate to promote my own message boards, but I feel I must. I love going here. After the big mishap at the ‘other board’, this is one of my places to go. However, I realize that the board dies any time our beloved Luvy is not online. He truly keeps my message board alive, because everyone clamours to talk with this well-loved Duchovny and Patrick fan.

Other websites that I frequent are as follows:

Facebook
Interpals
LiveJournal
Neopets
Club Penguin
The Well of Creativity (some more shameless self-promotion)
The Robert Patrick Forum


And here ends my one and only Promotional Blog.

Whack fall the day!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Paranormal Musings

“Let’s just say I want to believe.”

I want to dwell on a subject that has plagued modern civilization for decades now. The Paranormal.

Is it so surprising that someone who is so obsessed with a show like the X-Files wishes to discuss this topic? Probably not.

Ghosts. Psychics. Aliens.

With technology progressing faster than the blink of an eye, is it so amazing that people are beginning to document paranormal events with useful equipment? And yet, while technological advances make it easier to document such things, it also has shown how easily we can fake such evidence. It makes everything people have discovered redundant. We’re back where we started off – seeing is believing. The best proof is hands on proof. Correct?

Isn’t that such a shame? That we can prove something exists to the point of actual physical proof, visual and audio, only to be had by our own brilliant inventions? Does it not make you want to cry when you have right in front of you a video of a ghost forming and disappearing, only to find out we have the technology to fake such a thing?

Even by talking about it, people still won’t believe. You’d have to see the video for yourself.



No? Not enough? You’d rather be in the room to witness it yourself? Because even if you will agree that this is raw footage, you could still claim that it was someone running up and then fleeing, even if everyone present in the penitentiary were accounted for. You still wouldn’t believe. Not even if they couldn’t debunk this by giving an idiot a black blanket, and asking him to run back and forth in front of the camera.

Why is it we only learn to believe when we are accosted by the things we dare not believe in?

I’m certainly not one to talk. When it comes to ghosts I believe. I really do, even though I’ve never honestly seen one (although there have been a few instances where I think I might have seen one). But when it comes to things like psychics I’m a denying pessimist. No way, no how. No such thing has psychics. I won’t have it. It’s just a bunch of hogwash, and anyone who believes in them is crazy.

Or are they?

I began to have doubts about my strong belief that psychics were fake, when I viewed a thermal recording made by the Ghost Hunters. The thermal imaging is located at roughly 1:48 in to the video. This is a collection of the ten best moments in Ghost Hunters history (and I thoroughly agree with whoever chose them).



I know, I know. It’s just a bunch of fancy lights and hoo-haw. But to those of us who understand thermal imaging, it means a heck of a lot more than fancy lights and pretty things. Those bright colours signify heat, and in this instance we can not explain what is going on. Some may speculate that what Grant caught on thermal is psychic energy.

But I was still a nonbeliever. Oh sure, I admitted that there was a possibility that some people were indeed psychic, but I still believed that 99% of psychics were frauds. And then I went to one.

My friend had been oohing and ahhing over this woman she had gone to. Apparently the lady had done her life reading and her yearly reading, and had gotten things dead-on. And now my friend was clamouring for others to come visit the psychic to get their readings done, and she would accompany her friends.

So we made an appointment, and planned a day of fun around my lifetime reading. My friend came over during the day, and we headed downstairs to the ‘toy-room’ which now houses mainly books, records, and extra pieces of furniture. Come to think of it, now that I’ve moved out, that room is pretty darn empty save for a tv stand and my record player (as well as a broken electric organ). We were sitting around down there, and looking through all of my books. I have a huge collection of books, and the biggest part of the collection is my Stephen King books. I own all of his novels, and quite a few other books as well. So I lectured her on my favourite author. Haha. I’m sure she got bored, but she sure as hell was paying some attention.

How do I know she was paying attention? Because she freaked out when the psychic told me my lifetime reading. A lifetime reading consists of the basics. She tells you about your past, present, and future, but keeps it broad enough to make it last a lifetime. A yearly reading deals with the coming year, and only the coming year and goes into much more detail. This psychic focuses on many things, including relationships and sex, careers, health, travelling, and whatnot. The only thing she doesn’t talk about is death. So even if she sees one of your relatives is going to die in the near future she won’t come right out and tell you. Instead she’ll say they may get sick or get in a serious accident, and just leave it at that.

And as I write this, I stopped short as I realized she told me something and it happened – and I had totally forgotten she had told me about it! Okay, that’s a bit creepy.

Well, during my lifetime she said a few things that impressed me. She detailed my past very efficiently, right down to the fact that I generally liked to dress in guy’s clothing (however, this day I was wearing a nice tanktop and very much female flared jeans). She also told me that I would start dressing much more effeminate (uh, that’s what I was trying to do!), and that I would start to experiment with my hair (I’ve been doing that for quite a few years now, though). She then asked me if I had any friends who gave me a hard time and called me things such as ‘butch’. I promptly said no. She then told me to watch out in the very near future as someone would start spreading rumours about this. I dismissed this as hogwash.

She then told me that within five years I would find the guy for me, I would find a job I liked (that paid extremely well), but that during my entire lifetime I would be living out of a suitcase – in that I would always be on the go. She also said I would have a great sex life (this pissed my friend off to no end, as the psychic never told her such a thing), and every time I go see her she is adamant about this one fact. It helps that my sex life since then has been positively amazing.

And this is where things got creepy. She asked me what I wanted to do for a living, and I told her the truth. I don’t really know what I want to do (well, I do, but I find it is a pipe dream) but that I wanted a steady job with a nice income. She said I would find it, but that by my late 30s I would be a published author. How did this crazy lady know I loved to read and write? But that’s not all. She scared the hell out of my friend with the following: “You’re going to write a lot of stories once you get published. You’ll be writing all sorts of stuff, but a lot of it is going to be like Stephen King.” My friend literally screeched in excitement and awe, and the psychic continued, “But you’ll also write other stuff, like children’s books.”

Okay, so we also had a little chuckle. Me? Children’s books? Boy, those kids are going to be scarred for life.

She said a few more things, and we all left happy, although minus 25 dollars.

So she read me like a book. That didn’t make her psychic.

And I thought that until two weeks later when a coworker jokingly started spreading a rumour that I was a lesbian. Now my friend worked in the same place I did, and when she heard the rumour she came to me and said the words I was thinking, “She was right! She so totally saw this!”

Okay, I admit it. I believed the woman was psychic.

I went back for my yearly.

And I went back this August. Her reading from this August has been so exact that it’s creeping me out at this point. Obviously not everything she foresees is going to happen. But so far, a lot of it has. She foresaw that a man would leave me for another woman (and lo and behold my last boyfriend technically kind of did), she told me I would be going to a few weddings (I scoffed at this because I didn’t know anyone getting married – and then the aforementioned man who left me invited me to a wedding) She told me that I love my job, and enjoy being at work, but that I would start spending way too much time at work. Which I am. Bus strike means I have to hitch a ride with a fellow coworker. Said coworker works from seven until five, whereas I work from eight until four. Therefore I’m working two extra hours a day. And it’s making me go nuts.

There were other things she foresaw, but quite honestly I can’t remember it all, and the list of what she told me is on another computer.

I still stand by what I’ve said before. Most psychics are frauds. They use very open-ended answers, and leave you to believe it in order for it to come true. And I agree that a lot of what the psychic said falls under that category. If someone tells you this is going to happen in your life, and you believe it, you will start to do things in order for it to happen. It certainly doesn’t make the person psychic. But when a psychic tells you that a man is going to leave you for another woman (or because of), and your boyfriend leaves you because of his ex-girlfriend, it freaks the hell out of you.

What she said about my becoming published has only caused me to start writing once more.

One more item on my agenda.

Aliens.

I ask you this: What gives humanity the right to assume that they are the only sentient (not to mention living) beings in the entire universe.

Science has proven that the universe is larger than belief. How can someone sit there and claim that Earth is the only planet amongst billions of planets that could have formed life? Throwing around religious texts isn’t going to debunk anything. If anything it causes the people of today to scorn those who believe wholeheartedly that God created the Earth, and then put fancy-lookin’ stars in the sky so that we could have something to look at.

Science, nay human technology, has proven that our universe is vast, and that each star is a sun burning millions of light-years away. And with each sun comes the possibility of planets. And with each planet comes the possibility of life. And I don’t mean snails, and moss. I mean the possibility of creatures like us, of creatures like the whales, of creatures like the elephants. Shall I continue on listing the intelligent creatures that live on this planet?

Next time the people who laugh at the idea of aliens go outside at night, I ask them to do this: Look up. Begin to count the stars you see (pray that you’re looking at a sky rid of clouds, and light pollution). Each star can be considered a chance that there is other life than ours. Possibly even more than one chance! Who is to say that that sun has just one planet circling it with just the right amount of distance, atmosphere, gravitational pull, etc, to support living creatures?

Do people not see how small we truly are? That we aren’t as special as our egos want us to believe? I understand it’s your religion and you have every right to believe in it the way you wish. But sometimes I am saddened to see that humanity, as a whole, thinks that they are invincible and the top dog (aside from God). And I am saddened to see people believe that an almighty god who we can’t touch, see, or hear created the universe in just seven days, and that he created it for US. Because, to me, that is so close-minded. People ignore the facts so that their religion makes sense.

And I can understand why aliens have not made true contact with us. Why must we assume that the aliens would be much more technologically advanced? Could they not be at the same stage, or a stage lower than us? It is either we are alone or the aliens have to be superior. I’m so confused!

And yes, I do believe we’ve done a few cover-ups. No doubt about it. So I guess that means I do believe in a superior race of aliens. Some even suggest that the people who resided in Atlantis were descended from aliens.

I don’t know.

I just know they’re out there.

Whack fall the day!

PS – The psychic had the audacity to tell me that I was weird. And then she told me to never change.