When will it end?

You guys, the past week was one of those weeks you feel is only written on the pages of tear stained journals. Filled with unspeakable horrors and reprehensible events. The kind of week where bards will tell the stories to horrify the small children. Ladies shy away and only the bravest of gentleman can withstand!
Okay, it was a bad week.
So what am I doing for a blog post today?
Pic spamming the hell out of this blog with ridiculously awesome/adorable things! That's how we make things better!

Well I feel better.

xoxo

Doctor Who S05e02: The Beast Below

In the Beast Below we suddenly find ourselves in the 30th century, with crying children, booth box dolls trying to kill you and Starship U.K.

Going to be honest. Not sure if I really like this episode much.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't necessarily a terrible episode. It is a good one, I watched it a second time. There was just something off I felt. Maybe the plot felt a tad rushed, or maybe it was because I'm still new to this and the Doctor seemed a bit off. I'm not sure. Needless to say we're introduced to the first episode where we get to see the Doctor and Amy off on a adventure.
But first, a very nervous little boy clutching his book bag. The children seemed to be lined up in front of their teacher getting their grade for the day? NO! NEVERMIND! CREEPY PORCELAIN DOLL FACE MAN! Carnivals are ruined for me now...

*shudder*

Timmy is apparently told he has done a bad job and that is... awful? I don't understand, does he get like detention or something? No, he apparently he has to walk to London. Erm. What? But no, he takes the elevator and the floor opens up and EATS HIM OH MY FUDGE AND CRACKERS!! 

Although no matter how the rest of the episode went, the beginning of this episode had me watching in child-like awe. The beginning with Amy was beautifully done I thought. With Amy floating in Space just, looking. Admiring everything that you may have ever dreamed to see all around you. The things you never thought you would be able to touch, the sky and stars, are around you. This scene just filled me with such admiration, and little bit of longing. I also loved how the Doctor was just hanging onto her by her ankle as she floated there.

Also, Amy asks what she is breathing and the Doctor tells her he expanded the air shield. I love random fact tidbits! 

The Doctor tells Amy that this is the Starship U.K  in the 30th century. The earth burned up from solar flares so humanity took to the skies. Oh pleasant. Oh little girl crying. 

I love how the Doctor is like: "Now Amy, we mustn't interfere. We just have to watch." Amy of course is busy agreeing with that and comparing it to animal documentaries and HURRY UP POND! The Doctor is already busy meddling. 

Heh. ♥

At this point the Doctor makes an interesting statement that Amy needs to start practicing her sense of observation to see what is wrong. Of course, I'm with Amy going: Uhm.. what? I see that the U.K. is a spaceship now and that Earth burned up. That's a problem. Other than that is just looks a tad... slummy. 

No apparently there's a 'missing fish'. Doctor, why are you putting water glasses on the floor? It goes on the table. I don't know what they do back on your planet, and seriously what is going on!

Obviously something sinister and plot related because now ominous robed figures are watching the Doctor and calling other ominous people asking water glass related questions about the Doctor while they watch him. Excellent. 

The comment the Doctor makes about children crying is rather astute as well. Saying children cry aloud to get attention because something is wrong, they're hurt. They cry to themselves when they can't stop, and everyone else is noticing. Yet no one goes near this little girl, and now I am like: What ritualistic crazy things are going on here?! Because it's totally got to be some sacrificial thing! And Anthropology go away, I'm watching tv. 

Amy: Are you a parent?

Yeah Doctor, are you?! Because that would be cool, and a little mind melting. 

Also, yeah Amy. Stay away from the booths! They are *~not nice~* Now let us split up! Because that's always an ingenious plan. Sweet mother of pearl. 

So off Amy goes to follow this poor little girl, who clearly clever and notices what's going on. Catching Amy following her. Wait, no the Doctor is just a bad pickpocket. Somehow that is really funny to me. He can do so much else, but he can't seem pick a little girls pocket properly. 

Ooo. Ominous tent. Pick the lock Amy! Pick it! Yeaaaaaaah. Amy Pond isn't afraid of ominous things. She's too fierce. 

They don't speak of Below? You mean where TIMMY GOT EATEN?! Although seriously, what is down there? Why would you be totally okay to just sent children down elevator shafts into the Below? 

Maybe they use them as fuel.

OH MY GOSH THAT IS HORRIFYING! 

As Amy crawled into the tent I was worried the ground was going to give away and she would plunge into this dreaded 'Below', but no. Instead it's just a silly, old, SHARP, POINTY, TAIL... THING... FLAILING AROUND! LIKE I AM DOING! 

What in the everliving is going on, on this ship? Seriously people! Also, the booth guy does not look happy. Neither do the dudes in hoods who have now taken Amy. Awesome. This is why you don't split up guys. 

However, I suppose if Amy were tagging along then the Doctor couldn't do his super secret stuff. Which apparently involves running around in an engine room. I know it's an engine room, because every engine room (or room within the vicinity of an engine room) has steam pouring everywhere like it's a bloody rave party. Oh look, ominous woman with a velvety red cape. Velvet is totally stylish. No. 

Wait, she knows he's the Doctor. So she knows him? Owen says the Doctor gets around though, I suppose being a time traveler you would. Look though! There are no engines! It's all fake and hollow! That's why he used the glass of water, clever Doctor! It didn't ripple from vibrations, and OH MY WORD! THEY ARE USING CHILDREN AS FUEL OF SOME SORT! what is going on

Btw, no worries. You're friends is totes safe. Here's a tracker to find her. We just looked scary and knocked her out. No worries!

Your execution could have been better. Just sayin'. 

This part of the episode really just threw me off though. It felt a little confusing. As Amy is in a voting booth (with a creepy smiley guy there! eek!) and in front of her sits three buttons. Protest, Record and Forget. A presentation starts running, and you would think in the future they would have better tv's, she is told that if even 1% of the population chooses to remember; they will all suffer the consequences. 

Uhm. What did you guys do?

The presentation runs and all I could make out was a brain and a child. Amy immediately hits the Forget button and a Recording of herself starts playing, pleading with her to get the Doctor out of there. 

Seriously. What is going on? Is it something that they might feed the Doctor too? I have no idea. Whatever it is, Amy promptly hid's it from the Doctor. Turning off the Recording as he walks in. They soon learn everyone over 16 can vote, and everyone always chooses to Forget. Why though? If it is something so awful, wouldn't someone Protest at some point? Or would it threaten their whole existence? These are the questions I had. Apparently the Doctor had them too, but the voting booth won't let him watch because he isn't human. So of course he totally hits the Protest button, and this man is sheer brilliance. Except the floor is now kind of OPENING UP TO EAT YOU! I sense that was a bad life decision! 

Which, I am promptly proven right as the Doctor and Amy are shot down a tube into a trash compactor? Or something? Oh gross. I feel bad for Amy, who is still in a nighty! All covered in nastiness. As the Doctor helps her up though and looks around, they realize that they are not in the garbage.

They're in a freaking mouth.

We appear to have been nom nom'ed

The Doctor deduces that, allow seeing the stomach would be fabulous, the only way out is to make the creature sick. Oh how...lovely. Using the Sonic Screwdriver (which apparently does anything), the creature spews them out, and I love the fact that the Doctor yells Geronimo! Hah. 

Now out of the monsters mouth, the only way out of the chamber is to 'Forget'. This is some serious business if apparently the only option you really get is to 'Forget'. I'm pretty sure 0% of the population remembers, as they probably got eaten. Lovely. Just, lovely. 

The booth guys get a whole lot creepier as the Doctor insists he will not Forget and they climb out of their booths! Don't worry though, ominous lady to the rescue! And she shoots them down like a total bamf. 

It also turns out that she is Liz X. What?! Yup, she's Liz 10 or Elizabeth the 10th. 

Owen had a problem with this part. She didn't seem to have that aire of royalty. I mean in the manner of talking really. I just thought she was some cool chick who totally kicked trash. When she was like "I'm the bloody queen mate." It was, "That's cool" and "That's odd" at the same time. It was just mannerisms. Then again it's the 30th century, I dunno. 

Also, heh the Doctor and the 'Virgin Queen'. Oh Doctor. 

As they arrive at Liz X's, with water glasses everywhere to remind her. I thought that part was actually kind of nice, she cares and actively seeks out what is wrong. When the creepy hooded guys show up though to detain all of them, and then turn out to be smilers, I was like NO THANK YOU. Do not want heads that turn 180 degrees. 

From here on out I think is when the episode became weird to me. As they are taken to the lowest level, which is the Tower of London (lol) we discover what is actually going on and what Amy chose to forget. Those tentacle things are around there too, caged in. As well as A BRAIN. That they are shooting painful amounts of energy through! What have you people done? 

We are then told that, apparently, Britain had a lapse in preparation as the sun began to flare. As everyone else took the skies, they were still there. Their sun betraying them, their children crying and then "like a miracle" a starwhale comes. The last of it's kind.

And you build a ship around it, caging it, and now shoot lasers through its brain so you can fly off. 

Wow. Just. Wow.

At this point, I was basically going: WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?! No seriously. How could you do that? However horrified and slightly miffed I was, paled in comparisons to the Doctor as I actually see him mad for the first time. And excuse me but it is a little frightening. Liz X is also apparently 300 years old, just so you know, and every time she investigates she ends up there. Hits the Forget button and goes back in a loop. 

You also feed you people to this thing! Just.. ah.. ugh.. whyyyy

 Perhaps what threw me off about this episode was the Doctors anger. It seems like he's almost trying not to blow up in rage. Most of it though seems to get directed to Amy, as he's so furious with her that she would try to protect him from this and forget about it. He's angry she would try to make that choice for him. I get why he is so mad, the anger was just so sudden I suppose. So the Doctor is now faced with three options: release the starwhale which will kill all humans, let the starwhale continue in agony as they torture it, or basically make it a vegetable with a high blast. Allowing them to still sail, but the starwhale will be basically dead. 

Seriously depressing. 

It was also kind of ...awkward? As Amy keeps telling the Doctor she doesn't even remember hitting the Forget button. While the Doctor replies that she still did it anyway and he's taking her home, all she can reply with is that she's human and he totally ignores her. 

Thank heavens for Amy though, as she uses her observational skills to realize something. Then grabs Liz's hand and hits the Abdicated button like a total champ, releasing the starwhale. 

Oh guess what. It doesn't leave! It freaking wanted to help! 

Oh my gosh, you people are idiots for what you did. Seriously, hang heads in shame. 

With the starwhale in control, the pick up speed and yay!

Now, another thing about this episode. I get that a lot of people like this quote:

The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago. It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it. That was all just you. It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry. What if you were really old and really kind and alone—your whole race dead, no future. What could you do then? If you were that old and that kind, and the very last of your kind, you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry.

Amy talking, of course, about the starwhale and the Doctor. However, just something about that quote just doesn't sit with me. I think it's the repetition. I'm fussy with things like that I suppose. Though not in my own writing evidently.
So now Starship U.K. has a better pilot at the helm, and the adventure has resolved happily. As the Doctor tells Amy she could have killed everyone on board I love how Amy just simply states, "You could have kill a starwhale." Both were just as bad, and I love that she says that. Amy Pond you are lovely.
So off they are in the TARDIS. Amy apparently contemplating her case of cold feet, as she ran off with a madman the night before her wedding. I find that humorous. The Doctor shows up at the weirdest of times. Also, phones for you it's Winston Freaking Churchill! Because, you know, he's totally drinking buddies with the Doctor. omg awesome

As Amy and the Doctor are off, the Starship U.K. keeps sailing with it's starwhale pilot.

LED SPECIAL EFFECTS

With a crack in the hull!

Ahh! What is it!

Obviously a reoccurring story arch plot point. But still!

xoxo

Oh, and also. This:  

Awesomeness Alert

So I finally decided today
That I should probably try out Doctor Who
After all, my friends all say I'd totes love it
And Fiancee likes it
So whatevs

I see that it's on
So I think,
Meh I'll give it a shot

Little did I know
That I was stepping into
THE MOST INSANE EPISODE EVAAR!

I am all yours Doctor Who!

*grabs popcorn and a blanket*

xoxo

O Hai

So, I know I haven't posted a new entry in a wee bit longer than usual. Alison pointed this out to me (which actually made me go all ~*squee*~ and goo inside because I'm not just talking to the lonely lonesome void of Internetville).
But then I realized, I haven't written anything lately because..well..
MAH BRAIN NOT HERE
Well.. okay it is.
But I seriously cannot focus
For like, more than 2 seconds
On any given task.
Why am I writing in stanza?!

So instead I will share with you,
a sudden revelation I had today.

I'm getting married.

Yeah, yeah.
I can hear all of the
"Well duh"-ing
But it seriously just hit me
Like today.
Pretty overwhelming, if I do say so.
I have to take care of someone else now
WHEN I CAN BARELY MATCH MY OWN SOCKS!
Luckily he's an OCD sock matcher
BUT THATS NOT THE POINT

Also, please share in my horror
At the second revelation I had today

What was that weather?

You feel like literally

RAINING ON MY PARADE?

WHY YOU LITTLE DKAFJDAKFJDKALFHDKLHAFDJAKFJDKALJFKDAHGKLAJKD

*grumble* *grumble*

What was that? You want THUNDERSTORMS?

Who me? I didn't say anything. stupid no good lousy... 

At work I read minds and magically make things perfect.

Have I ever told you guys about my job? No? Well, strap yourself in for the never ending fun.
Hurr hurr.
So after last summer working at The Museum I found my internship over and myself out of a job.
Also, my school was like "What? You wanna come back? NOPE!"
 Fuuuu...dge and crackers.
So I'm sitting in Calgary hurrumphing over needing to figure out what to do with my life.
 When things like this happen, I would love to say I am a calm person in personal crisis; but that would be a lie.
 I panic, hardcore.
 When there's problems at work I can keep a level head, but when it comes to my personal life; the farmer basically just cut off my head.
 So I applied like crazy for anything I could think of that wasn't retail. Been there, did that, would rather sleep with spiders. Okay maybe not, but retail = noooooooo.
So anyways, after a few interviews and such and such job chasing later I landed a job as a receptionist for an oil company. Now, I'm not going to be naming names because the last thing I want is to get in trouble with people of Considerable Status Above Me.
Bascially, I'm the girl who sits by herself in the front waiting area greeting you as you walk in and trying to figure out what meeting you are supposed to be in (because nobody tells me anything >.<) I answer the phone.. when it rings.. once in a while, and answer emails (which are like, never).
 Basically I sit here and do school work and clean the boardrooms.. and possibly blog. Errr.
Although, there are two things I do in my job that I'm pretty most other receptionists don't have to do. However, if they do I feel for them.
1) I sometimes have the joy of running my bosses personal errands. Like picking up her sons stocking for Christmas, or picking out the Presidents new car, or their furniture, or their towing company, or their dishwasher repair-man, or (and possibly the best) their entire Christmas celebration and gift for the embassy. Oh joy of joys.  And no, I don't get additional pay for this. I do this out of the "goodness of my employee heart".

Usually most people are like "but that means you don't have to sit behind a desk all day!" or "it must be so fun!'

 No. Just, no.

 I have to do their errands, plus my work I have. Also, my bosses are PICKY. Like, I mean they put your gluten-free, vegan-friendly, "I won't eat dog" American cousin visiting China to shame. 

I once picked out 5 different set of Christmas lights before I was told to pick out "exactly these ones", the gaudiest of the gaudy I may add. 

Why could you not tell me in the first place? And then, when I pick those ones out, there may still be something wrong with them. Like they aren't bright enough. 

THEY DON'T SELL SPOTLIGHTS AT CANADIAN TIRE! *facedesk*

*sigh*

Okay, so in honesty that isn't so bad. Just really frustrating sometimes, especially when I have files stacked on the desk, and I am told continuously that "No no, not that." and then they thing they want is almost the same thing. Whatever! I can deal with it. It's not too bad, just really, really frustrating.  

It's #2 that rubs me raaaawwww

2) I am not only a mind reader but I make "executive decisions" to the people no one wants to deal with. 

Now, let me elaborate. 

Firstly on the mind reading. It slightly coincides with the afore mentioned but mostly it has to do with actual day-to-day job. 

For example, I will be sitting at my desk doing work.. Err, yes.. and suddenly a group of 10 people from a law firm and some other oil company and the bank will all walk in. Now, I will smile and greet them while thinking in my head "What?! Who are they for?! Which boardroom do I put them in? I haven't made coffee! There's no water set out!" 

Then I will look like a total idiot asking them who they are here for, they'll all raise their eyebrows at me and tell me who. So I will ask them to please wait, take a seat and go find my boss. 

Now, at the beginning of my job this was a big problem. I was constantly running around like a chicken trying to figure who went where. Sometimes I would put one meeting in our large boardroom and a second meeting would walk in moments later and the person they were meeting with would be mad that they didn't get the big boardroom. The poor Administration Assistant before me had dealt with this longer and she said it was always like this.

 So, eventually I learned to always have water set on the tables and the boardrooms prepped. However, I wasn't up for this who charade. So if people didn't get the boardroom they wanted:

Tough cookies you guys. Should have booked your meeting. You've only received ten thousand emails from me about this.

 At first some of the temp workers from overseas weren't cool with my stand point, luckily my boss knows I'm just trying to work on efficiency and told them they had to deal with me. 

So I tell them kindly they need to book it and when they do I ask them if they want me to set out tea and coffee. It's gotten better, though sometimes the overseas business people still drive me nuts. Actually, all the time. >.>

Now, the "executive decisions" isn't really as fancy as it sounds. 

My basic job for answering the phones is really just screening calls. Most calls I get in a day are telemarketers. I now have a serious zero-tolerance policy with them. I used to be like "No thank you.. Well.. I.. I don't want to talk to you.. I'm busy" 

Interruption, interruption.

 Now I'm just like "Look, this is a company. We don't have time for this. Sorry, but don't call again." If it's a Canadian number I add "Call again and I call CRTC." 

Because telemarketers are illegal in Canada, did you know that? Oh yays. I am kinda mean.. I know. But you don't understand how many of them call 

O_O

 SO MANY! 

The other phone calls I get that no one else wants are the people who want an "in" with us, or a donation, or to sell a new idea. These people, though they mean well, annoy me to no ends. 

Simply because of the fact that they cannot seem to grasp one concept. 

We are NOT, I repeat, NOT, the head office. 

See, my oil company is based from another country. We don't make new business decisions, we don't deal with new companies unless told to, and no we cannot fund your new "innovation". Yet somehow, no matter how much I tell people we cannot help them they continue to push and push to talk to my "manager" and insist that we may be able to just hear them out.

I usually hear:

 "Well, I've dealt with our companies from [insert country name here] and they had offices back there."

 Do we look like that company? No, I'm sorry I can't help you.

 Usually, I try to be professional and kind to these people. It was weird to me at first too that we got all orders from out of country and didn't act unless told to. Eventually you see it makes sense in a business way. Some people that call and keep getting pushy and insistent though I lose a little patience with. I was never blessed with lots of patience anyways, but these people are a number. They keep telling me:

 "Well you can do something I'm sure, you're a prominent company."

Applying to my ego doesn't help you.

"Well can I talk to your manager anyways?" (asked about 5 times)

No

"Well can't we talk to them and then meet with your head office?" 

No

"You mean I have to go to [insert country name here]"

No, just talk to them then if they want to do business you can do it through us.

"Well why can't we do it now?"

Because you have to talk to them first! Argh!

"Can I have you bosses name?"

NO!

"Can I just talk to you manager about who to contact?"

Oh you're so sly. No.

"This is a great opportunity you're missing."

I'm sure it is. 

"Can I talk to your business manager then..?"

NOOO!!

*facedesk*

These people, they have more persistence and gumption than a door-to-door salesman or something. 

*sigh*

xoxo

p.s. I get married in 26 days. OH MY GOSH!

Hipster mannequin anyone?

It scares me mommy... It mustache. It stares into my soul...

No! Nononono No!

The Weather hates me right now doesn't it?

>.<

Weather! You're being such a troll!

For the Love of All That is Holy...

So the other day I was mulling my way around Facebook. Typical time-wasting. A friend of mine though sent me a link and told me to check something out. What I saw wasn't something I was ever expecting to see occur here in my own "backyard"
(Warning: The pictures shown are graphic and can be disturbing.)
The GuZoo Animal "Sanctuary" in Three Hills, Alberta:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=636678&id=563805693&fbid=10150443011925694
This was my face:

For a split second I thought this was some really tasteless, awful joke. Then I kept flipping through all of these pictures of blatant animal abuse and neglect. The pictures of the sad little piggy hiding under a heat lamp with sagging skin, and especially the bloodied goat made me finally end up like this:

I don't rage often, but I sure felt enraged looking at all of these photos. Then of course I calmed down enough to think "Well, maybe it's a bad season?" I know there is no excuse for animal abuse and poor living conditions, but maybe the owners were doing all they could with limited resources. Maybe they needed help? So I hopped over to Google to research the GuZoo. 

And I *facedesked*

Allow me to share with you what I found. Apparently originally this establishment was a fur farm, that in and of itself is a little dis-consoling. It does explain how he has the ability to find these exotic animals though. So I kept plugging along and I came to ZooCheck. And Lo, my rage grew with Awesome Fury. 

http://www.zoocheck.com/Reportpdfs/Guzoo07.pdf

This is a report from 2007 listing the infractions that the Guzoo has and its need to come up to code. Okay, so its a repeat offense. 

Well, then I found more. 

http://www.zoocheck.com/Reportpdfs/guzoo%20report.pdf

http://www.zoocheck.com/Reportpdfs/welfare_risk_guzoo.pdf

http://www.zoocheck.com/guzooreview.html

That is just some of what came up. I was shocked, horrified and appalled by this obviously neglectful attitude towards moving up standards. They are continually repeating offence and obviously have no intention of bettering their facility. Even when they do reform it, they reform to the bare minimum standard. Evidently, through progressive evidence throughout the years, these people will not change their ways and this years review means nothing to them; other than another hurtle to making their money. 

So this issue has been hitting the news. The Calgary Herald, CBC, GlobalTV. People are trying to make known what is going on and stop it. I'm not what you would call "an animal rights activist" but I do love animals. I also think that animals deserve to be treated better and need love and nourishment, which these people obviously don't give. I think we need to crack down on people like this and make an example. If a criminal kept repeating an offense we don't slap them on the wrist or keep them a meager fine. So why are they getting away with it? Probably due to what many in the government and this "zoo" establishment think is lack of interest. There seems to be a thought that is very common that people who get heated about these issues are simply activists, and that at the next crisis their attention will be diverted elsewhere. However, I think this time they may find that it's not the "activist" stereotype they are facing, but rather a lot of people who are concerned and enraged by this continual charade of "animal protection" in this "lovely zoo facility". 

So I support the effort to see this place meet its end. I think we need to do it with a measure of dignity and not sink to a bickering and mob-mentalities level. 

Although, I will admit that it is hard when the owner himself is saying things such as this:

"These kinds of people don't realize, by trying to stop what I'm doing, all they are doing is depriving some … child or adult … of enjoying themselves," - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/03/29/calgary-guzoo-animal-farm-online-complaints.html

Or this:

“They may not have had water at that moment,” said Gustafson, admitting some animals’ “old water dishes” have sat covered in feces in cages since last fall. -http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/816712--disgusting-roadside-zoo-under-review

But especially, this:

Gustafson says if he is forced to give up his animals, they will never go anywhere else.
"That lion is worth $10,000 to taxidermy, and if that's what these people want -- that's what they'll get," he said. - http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110328/CGY_guzoo_investigation_110328/20110328/?hub=CalgaryHome

-_-

Really? Just.. really? Like.. what.. How could you...

You sir, deserve the award of OUTSTANDING DOUCHERY! 

I read a good comment somewhere that someone said though stating that "he's basically holding a gun to the animals heads. If those were people, we would call that extortion." 

Touche. 

This man makes me very, very angry. Well, it did used to be a fur farm. Guess he'll just go back to that if he can't get his way. Oh, and he says he wuvs his furry wittle animals soooo much.

>.>

ARGH!

Please Alberta government and judicial systems, please give us swift justice. Is that too much to ask for? I think not. Don't turn a blind eye, again. 

>.<

Okay.. I'm still raging after writing this all out. I know it's a super depressing an upsetting topic so here, something to make us all feel a tad better:

 Now let's get out there and do something about this people! 

xoxo

ETA: Please enjoy a small vindication, and then all hell breaks lose and this guy is seriously one heck of a nut job.