The Times of Malta vs the Rise of my STRESS levels!

When I was younger, I used to love perusing the magazines which came with one of Malta’s most popular newspapers – The Times of Malta, not to mention the daily comic. As I grew up, I discovered the online website, which presents all current articles in an easy-to-access, friendly structure.

And there, began the trouble.

The issue as such did not stem from my reading current affairs (although that in itself is enough to turn anyone’s hair white), but in reading the many IGNORANT, NARROW-MINDED and HYPOCRITICAL comments spouted by most of those who, having nothing better to do with their days, spend an inexplicable amount of time not just commenting on each article, but actually bickering and fighting amongst themselves. These people don’t even know each other – most of them use, in fact, a nom de plume, and yet, the same ‘names’ continue cropping up again and again, often voicing not just opinions pertaining to the article itself, but always steering the conversation towards political themes, religious fanaticism, or even personal name-calling.

Faced with this HUGE evidence of my own country’s stupidity, each time I read an article, I promise myself to NOT EVEN PEEK at the darn comments… since I’m aware that if I do so, I will inevitably start to fume at the ears, not due the fact that I would have a different opinion (everyone is entitled to their own views after all), but because the blatant shortsighted, senseless, and most of the time irrelevant tosh thrown pell-mell all over the place by such ludicrous and mindless individuals, just makes me want to vomit. I don’t know why I sweat it so much, I mean it won’t make any difference to me personally that Cikku tal-pastizzi is a misogynistic asshole, or that Doris tal-haxix is just a bitchy twerp waiting for an excuse to roll her eyes at everyone. I should be resigned to the hopeless fact that unfortunately, most Maltese village-idiots, not to mention wanna-be posh bullshitters, are just like that.

Except that apparently, no matter how my brain signals to little opinionated me that that is the case, I still hear my unadultarated voice shriek in indignant rage whenever I’m faced with such insurmountable obtuseness.

Because that is the worst I think – not that someone is stupid… after all everyone can learn, but that they DO NOT WANT TO. Most people, if told by their grandmother that the earth is flat, that washing their hair with egg-yolk makes it shinier, and that anyone who doesn’t go to mass three times a week is evil, just take all this clap-trap at face value without ever questioning or even being interested in thinking of the ‘why’.

Here is an obvious example http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150317/local/mum-who-left-baby-in-car-to-be-charged.560248

This article concerns a woman who left her baby unattended in her car. We have all heard stories of how awful and detrimental this can be to a small child’s health, particularly in hot countries like Malta and Italy. Anyone who leaves their child, or a pet, unattended in such conditions is guilty of massive negligence, and we all agree on that. HOWEVER, just look at those comments! To quote:

‘Unbelievable ! – But as the saying goes … You can take the woman out of Africa, but you can’t take Africa out of the woman.’

‘You can’t take the jungle out of certain people.’

‘single mother huh?’

SERIOUSLY? So you think that just because the person is colored, is not Maltese, and is a single mother, she obviously does not know any better? What about all such other cases which happened in Italy, Britain, and many other countries? Were they all single mothers? OF COURSE NOT! That has nothing to do with it!

Meh… talk about labeling and racial intolerance!!

Now tell me again… how on earth can I keep my stress-levels in check after reading such bs??

Cutting off puppy’s body parts… NOT cruelty??

This morning I came across an article on a local newspaper which really disgusted me. I mean really, how can certain people be so bloody STUPID and cruel??

The article was about a guy who was fined for cutting off two stray dog’s tails himself, without anesthetic or going to a professional (he didn’t want to spend the money I assume). The puppies were in pain for days without any medication and for no reason except that this guy who decided to ‘adopt’ them (he left them alone in the fields anyway, just took them food from time to time) took it upon himself to do this for no other reason than the ‘trend’. I’m guessing this because what on earth could a dog with his tail intact do wrong? What’s the point in cutting off dog’s tails anyway!?

By the way you can read the article here – http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141127/local/man-fined-for-cutting-puppies-tails.545891

A tail is part of an animal’s natural body – it helps them keep their balance, run faster, and swat off parasites like flies and gnats – why on earth should a person want to get rid of it? Just for a fashion statement, or to make them look more aggressive? Would you cut off your children’s toes for a fashion statement? I’m guessing not right?

What about those who cut off their dogs’ EARS as a fashion statement? I love dogs’ and cats’ ears, especially the tips, they are so soft and fluffy. But some people seem to despise certain bodily parts apparently, so of course, since they belong to ‘just animals’ they feel free to come them off! If ear tips bug you so much, why don’t you cut off your own eh??

Does this look ‘in’ and ‘funky’ to you??

NOT!!!

And I was really and especially disgusted when I read the comments to said article! People actually said that 800 euros was too harsh and that everyone else was doing it anyways, so why was this poor guy fined? After all he was being kind and ‘adopting’ these dogs right? (Even though he left them alone in a field for days, and they were just newborns!!).

ARE YOU FUDGING KIDDING ME?? It would have been better if he had never set eyes on them for sure! I don’t think that if anyone had a choice about being ‘adopted’ only to have body parts chopped off, they would be happy to do so, do you?! And if everyone else is doing it, then ‘everyone else’ should be fined too!

Clearly there’s a large percentage of people who either like chopping animal body parts (bloody sadists), or actually think animals don’t feel pain or emotions. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.