Portrait of author's psyche circa 6:30 a.m. (CST)

Sonofabirchingmuffinsuckinghoarsesheet. Unquote. That’s the PG Rated assessment of how I’m actually feeling au moment. My chi and I haven’t been on speaking terms since Wednesday; it’s abandoned me for someone more centered and at peace, like bunny-boiler Kim Jong Il. My inner child was taken from me and put into foster care for protracted neglect. It’s not that I’m depressed or anything, but how farking frustrating is it when you don’t have time for the things that keep your mental-health dial hovering somewhere between Euphoric and Tower Sniper, and redlining into Future Unabomber?! Alle hunderttausend heulenden und jaulenden Hoellenhunde!

Onwards.

The Friday Funny of the week is brought to you by Shreddies. Seriously. Knitted by Nanas was a very successful ad campaign in the UK and this longer two-part advert Chronicles of Nana: Dawn of the Robots and Chronicles of Nana Part II: Camp Shreddies is absurd and sublime.

RAVS doctors at work in the north

PSA

Take out your cheque book, find a pen and write a cheque to the Remote Area Veterinary Services Team. Please, I beg you to do this. The RAVS team is a mobile vet hospital offering free spay/neuter/vaccination clinics in the north. They do this to keep the dog population down. They do it when all three vets and five volunteer techs can scrounge up $5,000 or so, ’cause that’s what a trip costs.  Host communities pay nothing for the service, but do have to cough up for shelter and food for the team. Here’s why you want to support RAVS:
Fact: 10-year-old Keith Iron of Canoe Lake First Nation was killed last weekend by dogs running at-large. In September, a 6-year-old Ile a La Cross boy needed 60 stitches to sew his face back on and a Wollaston Lake toddler was seriously injured in July 2009 injured after he was attacked by two dogs. In July 2007, Dawson Carriere, age 5, was killed by dogs on the Cumberland House First Nation. I could go on and on but I won’t; you get the picture.
Fact: Dogs running at large are one of the top environmental threats to health and safety in the north. RAVS isn’t about pet care; ultimately, it’s about people care. Children on reserve are 180 times more likely to be killed by a dog than children living off reserve. (Read the full study here)
Fact: There are no vets or vet services north of Meadow Lake and, access aside, few can spare the expense; groceries trump pet care every time.

Don’t blame the parents, the people, or the leadership. Blame the fact that there’s no access and rampant poverty. Now isn’t a time for blame anyway. Now is a time to help, heal, and find a way to prevent this from happening.

RAVS is scrambling to set up a foundation, get some fundraising underway and then get the clinic on the road but they need your help. Now. RAVS makes a difference, but it needs to do even more. Please, please help. Write to me at morganbeaudry (at-thingie) gmail (dot) com for how to give.