exchange

hello there

at some stage, i would speculate, just about each and every one of us did, when we were younger (as opposed to when we are older, look you see), wonder or ponder on what might we become. yes, indeed, this is something i most certainly did. be it within the confines of a formal "careers guidance" meeting at school, or conversations with friends, or just momentarily filling up some time alone, i did consider what i may well be, what i might become. 

i doubt very much that any dreams, ambitions, designs, ideas or aspirations had in this regard differ too radically from many. at times i gave consideration to such professions (or vocations) as standard, generic and usual as pilot, astronaut, writer, teacher,  someone what gets paid very well to effectively drive great distances whilst listening to quality music, nightclub owner, director, naval officer or some other predominantly oceanic based career dominated by men who like being with men, corporate finance, rock star or better manager, fashion critic or perhaps even a feared gangland crime boss. yes, fortune has meant that i have had dalliances with most of them, as things turned out. 

now, what with the site of the end in sight (cue something like the first few lines of It's A Sin off of Pet Shop Boys, or similar), i am acutely aware, if that is the right use of at least one of those words, i should have set ambitions somewhere rather different. giving time again, knowing what i know, then all thoughts of the above, all energy, effort and focus, would exclusively have been on becoming a monkey what sits in a scientists laboratory smoking all day. 

with social media being what it is today, mostly a tetchy kettle of those itching to get upset and wail on the slightest provocation or invitation, undoubtedly this sentiment shall be misinterpreted, so as to feed some plight unrelated. no, i am not endorsing, advocating or supporting that thing where science types take monkeys (apparently monkies is wrong) and make them smoke, far from it. but, since it is a thing, one cannot realistically stop or prevent me from yearning, or longing, to be one of them. 

for the sake of provenance, or clarity, the images here (and indeed a slight moment of video) are all taken off of a video what i found over at the archive website. my understanding that all stored there is stuff what is free, or bereft, of all that copyright stuff which the internet has an exceptional track record for respecting. so, no, it is not like i have a huge personal stash of material relating to scientists what have created a career out of making monkeys smoke.

the practice, or art, of doing this does indeed strike me as rather cruel, possibly barbaric and certainly rather distressing to see. undoubtedly there is some sort of scientific information or knowledge extracted from doing this which is of vague benefit to someone somewhere, but i very much doubt that any monkey what is doing it (or has done it) was consulted or asked if they would care to do so. more likely it was the case that assumed, tacit consent was given. 

rather all the more reason, then, to let some of us partially educated, aware of the "risks" and of our own free will, elect or select to do this apparently most important thing. i mean, yes, you would get all of that usual noise, saying "but smoking kills, you can't let people do it", but unless that is coming from some kind of (as in specifically) immortal, shall never die non-smoker, it's academic and relative. besides, every time someone announces some wild, ambitious and ludicrous chance to go to some other planet, like Mars, mostly, there are always thousands of volunteers, knowing even that it means no return and a likely uncomfortable demise. of all living things on this planet, it does seem that it is only humans what engage in things which they are aware may well result in their death. this has somehow made us the dominant, if not superior, species on earth. go figure. 

do i really need to spell out why, now, this is the career objective i should have had all along? very well, fine. going on all that i can see, or otherwise ascertain (but not discern), one gets all of their basic needs and requirements met for them, with the only expectation being that they, in return or if you like exchange for this, just sit there and smoke all day. at the great risk of simply stating the obvious, this does strike me as a simple, easy and fuss free way of spending away all of whatever time one is given to indulge on this planet. 

exactly how outlandish, unreasonable, preposterous or silly is thing want and wish of mine? actually, when all is considered, not very much at all. there are many, many people what forge a career from doing them "clinical tests", where they are subjected to medicines and what have you, in exchange for coins of money. most recently, of course, we have seen a huge surge in this career choice, what with people volunteering themselves to be experimented on with an assortment of weapons for the invisible war against the new plague. and it's not like i would have high salary demands. so long as they gave me stuff to eat and a place to sleep, well, keep the cigarettes coming then, i shall crack on. 

how likely will it be, mindful of how many measured years of my life have passed and the constrictions, or limitations, of so short a time left, that i could change career to become a monkey what sits in a lab and smokes all day? extremely unlikely. in the first instance, they do not appear to advertise for people to do this job. believe me, i have looked, and had there been an advert for such an opportunity then i would have applied. further, or also, they probably would want someone that was not a smoker in the first instance, so as to monitor and document all what happens with smoking in respect of the human, or monkey, body. 

speaking of which, why is it, exactly, that no one has had a really good look at those people who pursue career aims that involve them being one of the scientists which just makes a monkey smoke all day? usually they only do all of them "psychological analysis" things of people what have done something wrong or illegal, measured against societal norms or prevailing laws. surely it would be worth trying to get an understanding of a young mind what declares it wishes to make a monkey smoke, and then the owner of said mind dedicates their academic and professional career to achieving this? 

a fairly obvious question presents itself from the above. the answer to it is no. well, that is if the question is would i not have been happy, or content, to be the scientist what makes the monkey smoke. doing so does not seem at all satisfactory, and rather cruel as outlined above. also, as a scientist, you are probably expected not to smoke, so it's not like you could sit and have one, keeping the monkey company as he (or indeed she, for i believe monkey smoking is equal opportunity) gets on with it. 

one thing i am not too clear on, exactly, is what all these notes being made are for. i mean, what is it they are studying, or observing, as they make monkeys smoke? presumably it is whatever damage is being done, and yet one could not tell that from an external look. my best guess, then, is that he is jotting down if the monkey enjoyed a particular cigarette or not. maybe he gets together with other scientists what have monkeys that they also make smoke, and they compare notes, discussing the different tastes and interests which monkeys have. 

possibly (or perhaps) it is so that in conclusion, here i should be placing a form of inspirational message. you know, something along the lines of "follow your dreams", "reach for a dream", "have the courage to set targets and go for goal" or similar. do, by all means, feel free to take any such sentiment which strikes you as relevant away with you, then.

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!