Explaining Dragons

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Concerning Racehorses: When will people wake up and see the cruelty

The racehorse industry has been allowed to run rampant- for 200 years!! As far as I know, every other industry has strict protocols. Don't you think you're forgetting something? Like, the only sport that puts an un-consenting animal at deadly risk? You'd think it would have the most regulations. But no. Because, as we've established logicality is not a strong point in animal conservation.
And we call ourselves "creatures of reason." Cute. Real cute. You keep on telling yourself that.

The Melbourne cup happened. Two horses died. Japan's Admire Rakti died of an unidentified heart issue. There should have been screenings prior to the race, to see if there were any underlying heart conditions. This is a pivotal test for human athletes. If they have a heart condition they cannot compete. Is it too much to give horses the same courtesy? Do you think they want to race? Do you believe this sort of racing allows them to enjoy their freedom? If you do, I'm sorry but your imagination has been substituted for fact. Fact and perceived fact are two completely different things. Just because you believe horses are having the time of their lives, in no way makes it true.

Freedom. Is freedom being forced to run everyday, with aching limbs, burning lungs, only to be locked up into a stable? If that's you're idea of freedom, slaves are free people. And if you agree with that statement, I can't help you. Go back to primary school. Maybe someone there can knock some sense in to you.

What these animals are subjected to, is nothing less of slavery.

Granted a number of owners/trainers care for their animals. But, this sport is simply not safe, nor humane.

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Monday, March 23, 2015

Racehorses

Concerning Racehorses: You're Welcome.

Anonymous 7:12 PM

For most racehorses, training begins as soon as they are born. With their first race at 2-3 years, these perilous races are known as, Undertack races. Many participants will end their lives on that track: with developing minds and bodies, many cannot hope to control themselves. Many will shatter cannonbones and shins, ending their careers and lives.

For those who survive, training will continue. In some cases, pain-masking, and performance-enhancing drugs will be added to the mundane routine.

These horses will comply, because they don't know not to. You think dogs are loyal? Horses, entrust their lives to their riders, they need to trust their rider without doubt. When you make them ride down that street, they are trusting you, that there isn't a lion behind the corner. Although, that is perhaps an absurd example, I hope you get the idea.

These 'lucky' horses, will put their everything in to complying. They will run their hardest. Give a horse a home. And they will give you their heart. You want to know what people do with it? Shoot it. Literally.

In the frequent occurrence, that a horse sustains an injury, the common practice is to euthanize it. If not euthanize it, sell it to someone who will sell it to a butcher. This is the thanks that they get.

They give us everything. And what do they get in return? Drugs, torture, abuse, and death.

Morality. Keep pulling down the cover of imagination. But, don't complain when I call you delusional.

Deviantart (labeled for reuse)

Movies

Movies to Watch Part IV

Anonymous 7:10 PM

Sorry... Here comes another one. Also, I've actually gotten around to watching a number of the movies on my previous list. So I'll be trying to review those as soon as possible. And last little comment, get excited for my reviews about One Piece by Shonen Jump :)

I've been a big fan of One Piece for a number of years now, and I can't tell you how long it took it get caught up with it. Before you start, this is the only anime I watch. And no I am not open to watching any others. Let me tell you One piece has almost 700 episodes, I am in no way willing to go through that again.

Without further ado:

Self/less

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I'm not entirely certain about this one. It looks somewhat interesting, but I can't quite tell... I'm all the way for science fiction, but this isn't really "real" science-fiction. At least not when compared to the likes of Star Trek and Star Wars. So let's see...

Paper Towns

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Well I've read the book. If I'm being honest I don't remember what the book was about... It's gotten to the point where I only remember about 5% of all the books I read. So out of the recent books I've read I remember The Magicians and The Fellowship of the Ring. Although, the second one may be a little bit of a cheat, since I've read that book 3-4 times now... Anyway, during that time frame I've read at least three or four other books. Do I remember them? Nope. So yeah... I remember enjoying reading this book, and if I had a day at a beach or something, I wouldn't hesitate picking it up again. With all that said, I want to see what the movie is all about.

Turns out that's it for now...

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Opinion

Concerning Kingdom Animalia: Rabies

Anonymous 3:00 AM

A human contracts rabies; what happens? They go to the doctor, they receive two shots. One that inhibits the progression of the disease, and another that will eventually eradicate it (in that person).

An animal contracts rabies; what happens? It's shot.

Well, I can evidently see what our society values. It's not that I believe dogs should be held above humans, however, as rabies is a disease that commonly affects animals, with detrimental consequences, would it not be smart to come up with a cure? For animals. And not just humans.

It's fantastic that we've come up with a human cure. Great, wonderful, I truly am pleased. However, shouldn't the next step be to find a cure for dogs, foxes, bats, and all the other mammals that are affected?

Who decided that we are worth more? Who decided committing mass genocide against foxes (to eradicate rabies), is just?

Currently, we have an epidemic infiltrating our ranks: Ebola. Anyone who suggested eradicating everyone who is infected, would be met with fierce (and deserved) backlash. It simply isn't a viable nor moral option.

Although, animals cannot be held on the same level as us, don't we owe it to them, to try? We know this disease exists, we've found a cure for humans, doesn't it seem possible to do the same for dogs? Shouldn't we try and find a way to solve this issue without shooting any animal with symptoms?

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

Opinion

Concerning Kingdom Animalia: "We hold these truths to be self-evident."

Anonymous 3:00 AM

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I hope you know where this quote is from. If not, Google it. If we can't even apply this to all humans, what hope do we have for animals? Sometimes, I just sit there, and question how we got here. We may think we've evolved, advanced, become better than before. But at what cost? Have you taken a look around you?
Where have the trees gone?
Where are the open prairies?
The blue skies?
The flocks of passenger pigeons?
The schools of hammerheads?
The open blue sea?
The pristine ice caps?

Do animals not deserve rights? They are alive, are they not? They follow the seven functions that a living thing most follow. So? Why don't they have rights? Although, I'm not going so far as to say, they should hold the same rights as humans, however, they need to be shown some respect. It simply isn't humane to kill animals for their extremities, whilst they're still alive; force them to perform for their entire lives; or committing mass genocide.

For those who don't believe killing animals qualifies as genocide, here is the definition; "acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national ethnic, racial or religious group". It seems that these truths are not self-evident to quite as many people as we've hoped [and I'm not even talking about non-humans].

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Friday, March 20, 2015

Shark Tank

5 Shows You Should Consider Watching

Anonymous 7:31 PM

Although I follow a number of the more well-known tv shows, I also follow my fair share of other shows, without as much of a cult following. Some of you may have heard of of these series before, and if you're watching them, great! If not you might want to check them out.

Merlin

Ultrapublications, labeled for reuse

First and foremost, this brilliant piece of cinematography.

It's a period piece, which I generally enjoy
It's a medieval history piece, which is even better
It's BBC, they have a pretty good track record in my opinion
Brilliant, brilliant chemistry between the two leads, the comedic timing for both of them is spot on
It's literally about Merlin. You know the wizard whose destiny it is to protect King Arthur. What more could you want?
"In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy- his name Merlin." - I accidently memorized this...

Unfortunately, this show was cancelled a few years ago, so don't be looking for any new episodes. Nonetheless, this three season epic is certainly worth watching.

Robin Hood

flickr labeled for Another BBC production, and just as good as all the others

Another medieval piece, and again a well-known legend (Robin Hood, I hope that's obvious to you)
I can't actually remember if I ever finished watching this show, but from what I remember it was fantastic
Again the two main characters have great chemistry, and play off each other very well.
Like with Merlin comedic timing is gold. Well maybe silver...
Again, there seems to be a trend starting here, the show was cancelled. So that's definitely annoying.

Poldark

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I've already briefly written about this show a couple days ago. Since there are only 2 episodes thus far, all I can say is so far so good.
And you guessed it, it's another BBC show. And yes. It is another period piece.Just look at it like this, if you like one of the above three, you'll probably like all of them. Incidentally, I tried watching BBC's musketeers, which came out to replace the cancelled Merlin ;(, but that one I did not enjoy. I don't even think I made it through the first episode. If you'd like you could give it a try, but personally, I didn't find it particularly riveting.

Gotham

Deviantart Hugh Jazz

This show I'd be surprised if some of you hadn't heard of it before. It's one of the many DC shows, that have been coming out recently. I, of course, also watch the Flash and Arrow, and I only left them off this list, because I figured the majority of people already know about them. And those that don't, probably don't want to watch them... Anyway, I feel like this show might not have quite as many followers, but I've got to say it's a fantastic show. Utterly captivating, and twistingly dark, it is certainly an attention grabber. It has a similar dark theme to the one Nolan introduced, although decidedly different. Following the rise of James Gordon and the beginnings of Batman, it takes an interesting new route. The only issue I've had with it thus far is their missed opportunities. For once it wasn't necessary to kill Bruce's parents off from the beginning, but lo and behold, they are shot in episode one. (Sorry, spoiler alert).
Highly recommend it. Although, if you are more of a fan of the Flash, this show is very different. There are no meta-humans, and the tone is much darker. If you are more familiar with Arrow, it is slightly more among those lines, although, I'd argue more twisted. Only because of the state of Gotham. You'll get what I mean if you watch it.

Shark Tank

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Surprise! Not BBC or superhero tv shows. A reality tv-show. Although, I'm not really sure if this constitutes as reality TV... I feel like some of you may be familiar with shark tank, and others not so much... The main reason why I watch this show is because I have a general interest in economics, I feel a basic understanding of the subject is vital when dealing with animal conservation. So yeah. This particular show has a lot more to do with an area of economics called "Theory of the Firm", the people going on the show are seeking investments from the "sharks", as they are all stuck in the short term plant period. So in order to expand, or meet demand they are looking for investors to increase their capital thus reaping the benefits of economies of scale. So that's why I find it interesting, in itself it can be quite enjoyable to watch, some of the product ideas people have can be quite innovative, and other times completely ridiculous.

So if you're looking for a new show, there you have it. Happy watching.

Solar Eclipse

The Aliens are Upon Us!

Anonymous 10:41 AM

I'm kidding. Seriously. I'm just melodramatic. What I meant to say is, today the solar eclipse! Just thought I'd mention it.

If I could actually watch it I wouldn't be sitting here writing this, however, since I value my vision I will have to be content here. Unfortunately, I have not obtained any smoke glass, in order to stare directly into the sun. Oh well, happy solar eclipse!

Wikimedia commons

Sorry for this rather pointless post....

Opinion

Concerning Fish: It's their livelihood. What's your excuse?

Anonymous 9:15 AM

One billion people rely on fish: whether that be as a food source, income, or both. Let me repeat that, one billion. This rant doesn't apply to anyone part of that one billion. Now calculate in probably another 1-2 billion people who also eat fish.
Personally, I eat fish. However, for the most part I try to eat fresh-water fish, and purchase fish from sustainable species, and packages that have been approved by Marine Stewardship Council. However, I could still reduce my consumption, currently I eat fish probably less than once a week. Anyone who eats fish as anything other than a necessity (whether that be for a living or a food source), is a contributor to overfishing.
The majority of people who rely on fish, continue with traditional fishing: methods that have been thriving for thousands of years. These methods, ranging from spearfishing to hand-fishing, are for all extensive purposes sustainable. People who utilize these methods are limited in their catch, and their methods are highly selective: meaning that everything that is caught is used. Unlike the highly unsustainable fishing practiced by developed countries.
It has reached a point where these fish reliant communities are struggling to survive.
We don't only disrespect fish. We disrespect people less fortunate. People who've lived off the sea for thousands of years, are now struggling to feed themselves and their families.

"We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others." ~Will Rogers