Giving Up

A few months ago I decided that freedom comes in the form of a two-wheeled vehicle. All I had to do was to pass a simple control test. Today I failed again, and after many lessons and three attempts at the control test, I have changed my mind.

A relationship between me and motorbikes was just not meant to be. If I haven’t learned how to do a few exercises until now, I probably never will and I might as well stop wasting my time and money over it. Besides, now that I have a car I found that freedom can also be found in four wheels, which can take me much further and in more comfort and safety.

If I ever move to a big city where bikes are useful, maybe I’ll pick it up again, but until then, I’m sticking to cars.

Kittens Life: Day 16

Not much has happened since Diana walked into our lives and gave birth inside my sofa.

In the past couple of weeks she has taken over the flat, rudely attacking Sebastian whenever she manages to get access into the bedroom.

The kittens have been hidden in the sofa, only making their little squeaks from time to time demanding attention from their mum. Today they finally took the courage to take a peek and check out the world outside. As I am writing these words, they are being pushed out of the sofa by their mum to take their first steps outside, and then hurry back to Diana to find food.

So far I have noticed two that are more courageous than the others, already looking outside by themselves. I am guessing that from tomorrow they will all be walking around, and that’s when the interesting part of the kittens’ life will finally take off.

Vegetarians for Free Speech

Chrissie Hynde was arrested in an animal rights protest in Paris yesterday. The protests, in front of KFC was organised by PETA and included a giant chicken crossing the road.

I have been looking for other references to this news item in order to find out what she did to get herself arrested for voicing an opinion, but couldn’t find anything. Surely it can’t be that the French police was arresting people for protesting, right?!

If you find something out, please let me know.

Update: according to the report in BBC News, the protesters smeared red paint across the window of the KFC restaurant to symbolise the blood of dead chickens. They were making a good point, which I totally agree with, but not legally.

This Is Not a Launch

Deviant Brainwave has a new addition – Sebastian & Friends, A Deviant Brainwave Photolog.

In Sebastian & Friends you will find photos of Sebastian, of course, but also other things that I think will be good on it.

At the moment it is unlikely to be frequently updated, since I still don’t own a digital camera with which to snap my world. This is also the reason that this is not yet an official launch of Sebastian & Friends. The official launch will take place only when I can guarantee the good quality of updates. I am also not likely to sell any prints in the near future, but I am considering the addition of some related merchandise to the Deviant Brainwave shop.

Justy-fied: The Picture

Justy-fied

I am finally mobile! I just bought my first ever car.

It is my very own little red 1992 Subaru Justy, and it will take me from A to B for the foreseeable future.

Now there are a few fixes and personalisations to sort out, including fixing the air-condition and installing a proper audio system, and then everything will be perfect!

The Lost Innocence

Animated movies are the best. Not only do you get to enjoy the beautiful technology that made it happen, but there is usually a nice story to tie it all together.

This is also the case for Pixar’s Finding Nemo. We went to see it on Friday and thought it was really nice, but there was something missing. It took me some time to realise what it was – innocence.

As adults, we’ve seen so many fairytale movies, that we already know that there’ll be a happy end. From the very first moment that Nemo start swimming out into the open sea we know that something bad will happen, and from the moment his father starts looking for him, we know that they will find each other and everyone will be happy in the end. We also know that nothing too bad or scary could happen, because it’s a kids’ movie, and no one wants to cause the kids any serious damage.

If we had a child’s innocence with which to watch the film, and the ability to really detach ourselves from everything we’ve known before, I believe we would have enjoyed it much more. We would have faith in all the adventures that Nemo and his father go through, be touched by their disappointment and tensed in all the near-miss moments. Just one of these moments in which I wish I was a kid again.

Kittens Life: Day 3

Diana has crossed some limits.

Since she took over the sofa with her kittens, Sebastian has been very grumpy. Only today I found that Diana has been pushing him violently from the food bowl and has been very mean to him. My poor cat has probably not been able to eat since they got in.

The immediate solution will have to be to split the flat in two, each part with its own feeding and litter facilities. While Diana will not be in the sofa, Sebastian will be staying in the North-Western wing (i.e. the bedroom and balcony) and Diana will keep the fort in the South-Eastern wing (the living room and kitchen).

I am really annoyed that Sebastian has to give up so much of his living space, despite being such a gracious host to Diana and her kittens. On the other hand, Diana is just keeping her duty to guard her little ones. I hope that in a few days everyone will get used to the new situation and the two will be able to live peacefully together.

In other feline news, yesterday I talked with the neighbour downstairs who has been sharing Diana’s feeding. I always thought that Diana is her cat, just being kept outdoors, but it turns out that Diana just showed up from nowhere a couple of years ago and took over the building. The neighbour was very happy to see Diana being taken care of in my flat and was delighted to know the kittens are safe.

I got a short glimpse at the kittens today, and I think there were three of them there. Soon I’ll start thinking of names. Any suggestions?

Exciting News!!!

I just got home a short time ago to find that Diana, a gorgeous pregnant white street cat I’ve been feeding hanging around my hallway. She looked messy and wet and a bit slimmer than she was yesterday. I was quite surprised to see her inside, and had a good guess of what’s going on.

A quick look under my sofa, in the space between the lining and the body revealed a group of mini-cats! Yes, Diana chose my sofa as home for her little kittens and she now stays here with them.

Sebastian is in shock, too afraid to get near there. When I got home he was in one of his hiding places on top of the bedroom closet and he doesn’t dare to come anywhere near the living room.

A consultation with the vet revealed that they will probably be around for about a month, so there is exciting time ahead!

Introducing: The Deviant Brainwave Shop

Looking for a perfect gift for that someone special? Ever wondered how you would look in a Deviant Brainwave thong? All your questions have now been answered.

Introducing, The Deviant Brainwave Shop. It’s my fun way of giving everyone the chance own the latest Deviant Brainwave merchandise, thanks to the good people at CafePress.com. Products include t-shirts, teddy bears, stickers, bags and a full range of underwear.

Being a fun thing means I have no intention of making money out of it, so all the prices remain the CafePress base prices. (I think they even have a sale on at the moment, so there’s really nothing to stop you from spending your dollars).

If you don’t feel like shopping right now, I added a link to the left navigation bar, just in case you feel the need for some retail therapy in the future.