Successful reprisal

For once, I heartily applaud the lady’s blog entry, though it carries her usual pungency.


Some men had the audacity to slime her and two fellow bloggers for supporting the ruling party, mostly insinuating that they work in the world’s oldest profession. Well, for once the victim managed to strike back, and wrote a most embarrassing article on them, complete with their photos, their defamatory remarks, and her rebuttals.

Now, we should all play fair, and observe civilised rules of engagement. Unfortunately, the Internet shows us that out of the reach of the law, people degenerate into Neanderthals and trolls. These men have no notion what respect is. In fact, their comments feel like verbal sexual assault and I am thoroughly disgusted. It is, I must admit, highly satisfying to see them ‘hoist on their own petard’ i.e. getting a taste of their own medicine. Sad to say, they look like perfectly normal men in public, some are even fathers, family men. Scares one huh, to think, when no one is looking, what people do.

Wait! Now here is the greatest irony. Perhaps lulled by the complacency that they are in the cyberspace, these men forgot that they are posting on Facebook with their real life accounts! That is how everyone knows who they are! This is such a morality tale in cyberwellness that it should be made textbook material.

Some observers demurred that together with the photos and identities of these men, their family members are also exposed. She should have blurred out their faces since they are innocent. But you see, shouldn’t these men have thought of their families before they unleashed their toxic words? Now they learn that their actions have an impact on others, including their loved ones. After all, the targets they were hitting are also somebody else’s daughter right? How do you think their parents feel?

Innocence

As a sheep before her shearers, I am silent. But may God Himself vindicate me and protect me against false reports, malicious witnesses and slanderous tongues. Let all these fall upon deaf ears, and turn back every flaming arrow.

Attack of the Robber Rabbits

The robber rabbits made an outrageous coordinated attack one day.

Blackie spots treasure! A bottle of their favourite papaya tablets. He noses it to the edge of the cage. 

There, right below, his accomplice waits. "Well done Blackie, pass it to me!"

He pushes the bottle over the edge and Whitty pounces on it gleefully. Before we could stop her, she has bitten a hole right through the bottle.

RABBIIIITSSSSSsssss! But they are so cute about the whole heist that you can't be angry with them. Instead, erm...they each got one papaya tablet. Well, they did earned it...kinda...

House Rabbits, not Cage Rabbits

If you keep your rabbits in the cage all the time, this is how they feel :(

Whitty: Let me out pleeeeeeease...I promise to be good

(Don't worry folks, these are posed pictures. No rabbit was harmed or oppressed in the writing of this blog entry :P Whitty was wondering whether we were going to give her more treats. Blackie was snoozing behind because it was afternoon - rabbits' bedtime.)

V's entry - More is a crowd

Masterofboots has been thinking of getting more bunnies...but where are they going to live? Blackie and Whitty are such a happy, loving couple now. What if new rabbits change their social dynamics?

Whitty is very possessive of her litter box, she would be so angry if another rabbit dares to use it (except for Blackie, of course). What if Blackie decides to groom the new gal bunny and ditches Whitty? And being such a very beta rabbit, Blackie would most likely be bullied by another male.



But...masterofboots has visited a Holland lop in the petshop a couple of times. And talked incessantly of moving into a new home where we can create a pet free-run level.

Why is there such a sense of deja-vu?

Waffling Over WiPileaks

The clarification is so long, takes so many people to express it, that at the end of everything, I am more confused than ever. Why not just make things easier by telling the truth right from the start?

If there isn't transparency to begin with, why should the clarification matter anymore? I am more disturbed by the secrecy, waffling and worse, internal strife, than whether the man should be NCMP.

Our only hamster now

Relieved to see that Ninja is pretty happy on her own. She has in fact gained weight, runs on the wheel at night and scrabbles in the pelleted bedding all the time. She used to be bullied occasionally by Friendly, so maybe life has improved for her after all.

Rabbit obedience training

It is time to introduce more to our syllabus in the rabbits' obedience class.  

Observing the rabbits, I now realise that they have different levels of intelligence, and not all rabbits can achieve the same things. But they can be trained, certainly, in the basics.

Basic Syllabus for all rabbits:

• Toilet training
• Recognise (and obey, of course) cue to return to cage

Advanced Syllabus for higher-ability rabbits:

• Beg for treats
• Perform tricks (like balancing a ball on their head)

Whitty has finished both levels of training, but Blackie doesn't understand begging. He just robs. He also took longer to do the balancing ball trick. Poor boy, bottom of the class :P

Hougang By elections 2012

I don't like political soundbites because they suggest a lack of alternatives i.e. real substance. They feel very catchy and emotively attractive, yet upon closer inspection, it is clear what makes most noise.

First, WP reminded us that he has always been there for the ward, for 20 years! But sir, you left for a bigger battle, remember? And that is how the whole saga started and why we are now going to the polls again.

Then we were repeatedly told that Hougang is special to WP. Oh, thanks. I won't like to be in the other GRC then, like a step child. Or when the time comes, will it be special too? I don't think any ward needs to be special,as long as they are all well taken care of.

Most outrageously, now Hougang is pronounced to 'defend democracy in their own backyard, even if it costs them.' This, if I may say, is a false dilemma! Do you mean to say that only by voting for opposition does one 'defend' democracy? I thought that every time a Singaporean goes to the polls, we are exercising (or defending, if you like) democracy!

Now I hate soundbites because they are made to substitute for political solutions. Observe what is happening around the world. Isn't it obvious that the best politicians are not necessarily the best leaders? I really don't want to go down that route.

Picky rabbit

Blackie! You are so spoilt! See how this naughty rabbit has eaten up all the best parts of the vegetables, and carefully leaves the stalks in a neat pile.

This is organic baby bok choy, mind you. Vegetables cannot get any more delectable than that!

the end of the 2 rabbits 3 hamsters era

Dear friends, thank you for your concern and kind messages. Was a little stunned at the sudden losses that took place one after another.

Ninja is taking the death of her little friend much better than us. She is eating heartily, chubbier than ever and playing quite happily on her own.

Not sure if I will be replacing the vacancies in our home zoo so soon. Besides, I now have serious questions about the breeding process in the petshops. Otherwise, why do all the hamsters seem to have inborn defects? BigSqueak died without warning. PipSqueak had a lump, and Friendly was the unhealthiest - she had skin problems, lumps, and finally a mass in her stomach. Even Ninja has a lump near her ear now :( I still love those cute little things, but it is hard whenever I think of the nursing I had been doing for months :(

Well, we shall see how things go then.

Tough love for the rabbits

The rabbits evidently know who the disciplinarian is, and who they can walk all over. They submit meekly to V's firm hands, and allow him to brush their fur. As for me, they trample on my feet, scratch my dress and nip me if I am in their way :( Grrr...

The end

Alas alas, no more dilemma. friendly passed away suddenly. *sob*

Confronting mortality

Alas the colony of ageing hamsters at home...actually only two survivors now :( We brought Friendly to the vet for a closed eye, which is probably the result of her being a dirty girl. To our horror, the vet discovered a mass in her stomach, and suggested an x ray. Our dilemma is, the mass requires surgery and she is already so old. The vet warned that she might have to be put down *sob* during the surgery, depending on the nature of the mass *sob* But not operating is essentially letting her go gently into the night... I really don't know. I feel...so...very tired.

All Hail Queen Whitty

Behold Queen Whitty, head of mischief in the yard.

The queen and her consort are making a coordinated attack on their box of treats again. They have bitten through my tupperware box. Hey you rabbits! Do you know how expensive tupperware is? I wonder if the lifetime warranty covers rabbit attacks :P

All that glitters is not gold

I'm very concerned whenever I see young children playing with iPads, iPhones and other electronic gadgets. Of course we all know that these toys make fantastic baby-sitters - the flashing colours and ease of use make them irresistable to any kid. And there are calls to introduce them to pre-school, because nowadays kids cannot sit still. Please...

In this era of space-age technology, I have an old complaint against technology. Isn't anyone worried about deteriorating eye-sight in our population? On a trip to Nepal, one Nepalese once remarked to me, "Singaporeans are very clever. You all wear spectacles."

Isn't it obvious that most things are beneficial only in moderation? A good thing given at a wrong time may cause more harm than good. I have already decided my future children will grow up helping me to take care of the rabbits, because spoilt rabbits are cuter than spoilt kids.