Thursday, August 11, 2011

I am Blue because My Smokes are too

It's officially happened - my smokes now come in an all-blue pack.

It's easier on the eye than the red blob in the middle I suppose, but I still really miss my red smokes.

The End of an Era.


Farewell, Old Friend. 

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Dogs Aren't People

I hold a longstanding disdain towards people who bring their dogs to public places.
I don't mean parks or other outdoor spaces, but stores and restaurants and things.
It's always bothered me. 
It could be because the dogs that get taken into places tend to be the exact sorts of dogs I don't like; little, rat-like creatures that shiver too much even though they are dressed in ridiculous little fake Louis Vuitton sweaters that their idiot owners bought them at the flea market.  I think that if I was a large dog I would feel discriminated against because of my size.  No one takes big dogs to stores.
I don't see why anyone would ever need to take their dog, say, shopping for eyeglasses.  They cannot give you an honest opinion or advice towards your purchase.  And they don't facilitate your shopping trip - they cannot hold doors for you, hold your purse while you try things on or help you carry your packages to the car.  So why the hell would you take a dog shopping?  It's asinine.

So, imagine my anger when I boarded a plane last Sunday morning and found out there was a dog on board.
What the fuck?
Okay, I get that some misguided souls live under illusions that their pets are like their children, no different than any other person but they really cannot be.  You don't give birth to a dog.  Sure, there is some training involved that may compare to a newborn baby, but that's about as far as that argument can go. 
Oh sure, you may spend as much on a dog as someone else does a child, perhaps even more - your children's medical expenses are covered by the government and your pet's aren't.  You know why?  Because pets aren't citizens.  You know why?  Because they're not fucking people.

Okay I'm rambling, but here's what happened:
I was travelling with 6 other people.  We had pre-booked our seats to ensure that we all sat together.  So, airplane - 3 seats per row, we had 7 seats - 2 rows and the aisle seat in the next row.  My stepmother took that seat.  As she goes to sit down, there is already a man in her seat.  She tells him she's about to sit there, and he tells her he and his wife are travelling with a dog and he hopes that's not a problem.  What really can she say?  She's not impressed but she's also a much easiergoing person than myself, so she grins and bears it.  It's an hour and a half flight.

The stewardess comes around and tells my stepmother that once we are in the air she will move her to another seat.  My stepmother tells her that she is okay where she is; she wants to sit with the rest of us.
The stewardess tells her that the dog has to remain under the seat at all times, and so if my stepmother moves to another seat, these fine folks who have graced the plane's presence with their overgrown rodent can each have some leg room.

Oh, well, of course then!  We must ensure that the people who have a complete disregard for the comfort of everyone else on the plane have ample legroom!  Never mind that my stepmother paid a full adult fare for her ticket (as well as for three other people) and the dog owners paid a $50 surcharge to live in a fucking fantasy land that says dogs are just as important as people.  Anyway, had it been me I would've caused a scene, but my stepmother just moved to another seat.

Okay, so they cannot serve peanuts on a plane anymore and we are encouraged not to wear perfume for our fellow passengers who may be allergic.  I have no problem with this.  But what about those people who are allergic to dogs?

Or why were the dog owners shown more courtesy than someone who didn't bring a mangy mutt aboard.  Why couldn't the dog's owners been forced to move their seat if the legroom was an issue?  I guess if Westjet wants to allow small dogs on board, that's their problem, even though I think it's fucking lame.  However, it should not come at the expense of any other passenger's comfort.  Dogs can be really annoying and they can do dumb things like pee or bark when they get scared.  Some people will argue that crying babies on a plane can be considered just as annoying as a dog.  I guess, but babies are people.  Babies will grow up and do things like pay taxes and contribute to the economy and care for their aging parents.  Dogs will never do those things, nor will they ever have to pay for a plane ticket.

Anyway, I think our society is going to hell in a handbasket and stupid rat-dog owners and those that coddle them are among the most to blame.

If any dog has a problem with what I have just said, I welcome your comment.  Oh wait, you can't read, write, type, or form an informed opinion.  You're a dog.  Bite your owner hard in the ass and remind them of that, would you?