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Category Archives: Animals

OSPCA vs. THS (yet again)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Today, the Crown announced it was dropping all charges against THS staff and directors citing constitutional reasons, apparently related to media involvement and the search warrants. Predictably, the OSPCA is outraged–outraged!!!–at this development and will, as one has to come expect of the OSPCA, be holding a press conference in a really expensive hotel. In [...]

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An Eleventh Thesis on “True Blood”

Thursday, August 12, 2010

The hardest aspect of the show to understand is the role of blood, both real and synthetic. The previous two episodes point to its powers: it is already known that vampire blood has effects on humans and supernaturals who consume it, but the powers of supernatural blood on vampires has not been explored. It is [...]

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Ten Theses on “True Blood”

Monday, August 2, 2010

1. Traditionally, vampires have been about death (e.g., premature burial) and seduction (e.g., aristocrats preying upon the women of lower social orders); while blood has been important to traditional vampires, they were never “about” blood; 2. The vampires of “True Blood” pose the question of consumption and are thus actually about blood: who should eat [...]

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Kevin Newman’s “No Country for Animals”

Friday, July 30, 2010

On Wednesday night, Global TV (in Canada) aired an hour-long documentary produced and narrated by retiring newsreader Kevin Newman entitled “No Country for Animals.” I was hopeful that this documentary would be educational and valuable given that press for it suggested a strong animal rights component (from The Star, “Kevin Newman Tackles Animal Rights“). Unfortunately [...]

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Notes on “Adaptation: Between the Species” talk

Sunday, July 25, 2010

My notes on the “Adaptation: Between the Species” talk can be downloaded here. Written in an informal style for a non-academic audience.

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Presentation at the Power Plant in Toronto

Friday, July 23, 2010

I’ll be speaking at the Power Plant in Toronto as part of the Sunday Scene series of lectures associated with the “Adaptation: Between the Species” exhibit on Sunday, July 25 at 2.

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Minnie

Monday, July 5, 2010

2009, 2008, 2007

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Animals and Animality Across the Humanities and Social Sciences

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

This past weekend I attended and presented at the Animals and Animality Across the Humanities and Social Sciences conference held at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. The conference was exceptionally well-attended (I understand over 140 abstracts were submitted and nearly sixty papers were delivered) and well-organized. It was refreshing to present in an environment where [...]

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What’s So ‘Critical’ About Critical Animal Studies?

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

“What’s So ‘Critical’ About Critical Animal Studies?” Animals and Animality Across the Humanities and Social Sciences Queen’s University, Kingston June 26, 2010 (Edited June 30 to reflect what I actually said) I have a bad joke I like to say far too often when people ask me ‘what I do’: I do critical animal studies [...]

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Hugo (June 15, 2009)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Hugo (adopted Wednesday, April 2, 2008; deceased Monday, June 15, 2009) was “a nice old man” black and tan rooroo hailing from the Candycane Forest with an exceptionally moosey disposition and a great fondess for carnuba waxes in all their forms.

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