Journal Entries
EE: forging a new community
Posted Feb 12, 2009
How about that, as soon as I sit back and think it's time to re-build my hootoo life, another opportunity comes knocking?
Now, I don't know how many of you guys read webcomics. But a while ago, as I was reading asofterworld, I stumbled upon the Bitter pen [ www.thebitterpen.com ] and enjoyed it so much I sent its creator, Brian, a nice e-mail.
He recently thought it was time to add a forum to the comic, and asked me if I'd like to look after it for him, and so I am! It's in very early days, but if you drop by, and decide you like the comic, I'd love to see any of you guys join in the new community.
Otherwise, I hope everyone else is doing well, and I'm sorry for being so absent!
EE
Discuss this Journal entry [2]
Latest reply: Feb 12, 2009
EE: Ethical dilemmas
Posted Sep 11, 2008
I've been running into some interesting ethical dilemmas lately.
Being as I am a trainee philosopher, I'm getting taught to seek the rationality behind everything, and lately I've been turning that onto myself. You may [or may not] know that I've been a vegetarian for around eleven years now. So a part of what I've been doing is assessing why I'm a vegetarian. I can put that down to several main areas, in order of importance:
1) Human rights [many meatpacking plants are highly neglectful of their workers, and have poor union support]
2) Deforestation [large cattle ranches, and other large livestock facilities, cause deforestation, and often cause the land to become barren]
3) Water Waste/ Pollution [it takes far more to irrigate crops for livestock; we could cut out a step of water waste by using the crops for ourselves. Livestock cause air pollution, and water pollution, largely from the amount of excriment they produce]
4) Non-humane animal conditions [the regular horror stories; most of which can be avoided by small-farm produce]
There are a few others, but that's the general gist. The thing that struck me, though, on sitting and working through all this... where's the insects, fish and seafood, huh?
This is kind of troubling, to me. I mean, I can score fish straight off just because of all the concerns of over-fishing harming the environment, but it seems that I can't fully justify why seafood and insects shouldn't be eaten. The farming of both is more humane and less pollutant than livestock. Does this mean I should break my vegetarianism? After all, I've never said that eating meat is "wrong", I've always been more pro-reducing meat eating; and it seems that replacing with a more efficient protein source is a good way forward.
What's a gal to do?
EE
Discuss this Journal entry [25]
Latest reply: Sep 11, 2008
EE: un-ciao
Posted Aug 19, 2008
I'm back, baby.
Yes, you heard me. I've decided, after a while living in other places, that it is time for me to Come Home. I miss you guys, and have realised that you were [and still are] the friendliest and most considerate people on the internet, and that my e-heart will always belong here.
It's going to take a long time I imagine for me to dive in and find my footing. If anyone has any helpful links please share them with me 
It is likely that I'll get in touch with the Powers That Be sometime soon and try and get myself properly re-oriented as an ACE, since I imagine a lot has changed since I was last showing people around the site.
As for an update from me, I guess it looks a bit like this:
I'm about to enter my third year at Warwick University, and I have been loving it so far. I'm the president of the philosophy society, which means I get to pretend I know how to organise things, and come up with fun ideas for activities. I have just moved into a house with my boyfriend, who I have been dating for nearly two years. He's a phD student on my degree course, so initially that was a bit of a scandal! He is a lovely guy, and I have obviously been very lucky there. My mum recently had a baby with my Stepdad - I named her Ivy - and this means I am now no longer an only child, which is great! It's been a big change in my life, and although she is only three months old I love her very much. I've also finally remembered to register as an organ donor, which was quite silly of me. If some of you are on xkcd forums I should be pretty easy to find there since I have this username!
Anyway, the people who still remain, please let me know what's going on with you, and what's been going on around the site! I'm dying to find out how everyone is!
With love and regards,
EE
Discuss this Journal entry [12]
Latest reply: Aug 19, 2008
EE: Ciao
Posted Jan 22, 2008
I'm hanging up my proverbial coat, and not pretending that I'm active here any more.
Don't get me wrong, I love you guys. The stuff you got me through was crazy. But I blinked, and the hootooniverse expanded exponentially around me; and somewhere between life, love, and death we forgot who we all were once.
Tried other forums: couldn't do it. It was like cheating on my first love.
Perhaps if I broke up with you properly, it would be easier to get over you? That's always the theory, but I don't know if it's true. So, I'm sorry h2g2, I love you, I always loved you, I'll never forget you.. but maybe it's time we saw other people?
The Existential Elevator will live on, with Douglas Adams at its heart. But for now, Tanya says goodbye, and thankyou for all the time you kept me holding on, and the inexplicably strange and terrible gifts you gave me.
t [dot] k [dot] osborne [at] gmail [dot] com
Ciao bella, mi amore
Tanya
Discuss this Journal entry [6]
Latest reply: Jan 22, 2008
5 Years of Existential Hootooism!
Posted Jun 3, 2007
It's been 5 years...
Yeah, five years. Five years yesterday. Doesn't seem it, does it?
Five years of friends gained, lost, and died. Of arguments and laughter. Of articles and conversation. Funny to think I joined at 14... and you all thought I was a lot older 
Yup, while I was here I went through my SATs, my GCSEs, my A-Levels and now my first exams at uni. I met at least 3 of my best mates here [TB, Rimmsie, and Diablos/Skye..though there are more who do not frequent this site as often who I hold dear] and had some of the best times of my teen years with you guys.
Funny how the world changes.
EE
Discuss this Journal entry [35]
Latest reply: Jun 3, 2007
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