In this completely unrelated advertisement for Bayer Rintal, a stereotypically “slutty” looking woman – a sex worker, perhaps? – clings to a horse’s back. Though she seems to be nibbling on his (her?) neck, the horse remains unperturbed; calmly, he continues to nom on a field of green grass. A logo for Bayer Rintal sits in the lower left-hand corner of the image; to the far right, a green star burst on which is superimposed the ad’s copy: “Eliminates all kind of Parasites.”

Hmmm. Not-so-curiously, I find myself wishing that I’d followed my initial impulse to decorate this post with a fuzzy cute goat photo instead…
——————————

Presented without commentary:

Aussie horse club to race women in bikinis

An Australian horse racing club will lock bikini-clad women in barrier stalls and run them down the racecourse as part of a controversial new novelty event, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported Tuesday.

The Gold Coast Turf Club in the state of Queensland launched the event, which is planned to become an annual fixture at the club’s first race meeting of the summer season.

Some believe this will take the popular tourist destination to a new tacky low. In a Gold Coast Bulletin poll, 39 percent of respondents said the gimmick was degrading — while 61 percent disagreed.

Up to 150 women, who must wear bikinis and running shoes, will compete through a knockout system for a first prize of AU$5,000 (US$4,800).

The event was copied from America’s famed Hollywood Park racecourse, which holds a similar event annually.

Turf Club chief executive Grant Sheather acknowledged some may see the event as degrading, but said it would be done in “good taste.”

”When people say ‘Gold Coast’ you think of beach, you think of girls and you think of bikinis; it’s a marketing ploy to build racing,” he said.

I wonder: if a participant trips and breaks a leg, will she be put down?

* A notice under the byline states that the article was updated on September 28, but no update is noted in the actual body of the article. Methinks it was the title of the article that was “updated” – changed, that is, from “Aussie club to race hotties like horses” (which is what appeared on FB when I shared the link) to the tamer (and arguably less accurate à la its misogyny) “Aussie horse club to race women in bikinis.” In either case, IBTK.

h/t, Katrina Fox

Update, 9/23/10: …and I’m back – in body, if not spirit. Kaylee is back to her pushy, gluttonous old self, though while I was away, little O-Ren was bitten by a baby snake. She’s okay now, but she sure gave Shane a good scare (and he, me).

Anyhow, it may still be a bit before I resume regular blogging; I’ve got a ton of work to catch up on, a website to finish, and a yard in need of some major help (still, mad props to the Mr. for all the (to-me) paralyzing tasks he tackled during my absence!). If looking at other people’s vacation photos is your thing (sicko!), mine should be up on Flickr and Facebook within the week. I’m also posting new (albeit moderate and noncontroversial) content on the PPP blog, so if you’re missing me, that’s where I’ll be.

Later, gators.

—————–

Starting tomorrow and through September 20th, I’ll be on vacation and offline. Presumably, anyhow; I’ll be visiting my family in New York, and until I arrive, I’ve no idea what my internet/computer access and schedule will look like. I think it’s one of those situations where either I’ll be super-busy and hardly around at all, or extremely bored and using the extra time to tackle a backlog of work. Either way, expect spotty comment moderation, slow or no replies to email, and a near-total lack of blog posts during this time.

On the bright side –

[because, let's face it, I need something shiny to look forward to as I sit here, teetering on the edge of an abyss that is a stress-filled two weeks spent at my childhood home, with neither Shane nor the dog-kids to act as a buffer between me and my lovable and supportive-yet-impossibly frustrating family / reluctant panic attack]

- I’ll be back in time for the fourth annual Vegan MoFo! Which, come to find out, is scheduled for November instead of October this year, but hey, that’s even better! ’twill give me a little extra time to prepare.

Also, please send some good vibes Kaylee’s way, mkay? (Not that I believe in that stuff, mind you, but it’s the thought that counts!) She’s been nauseous and gassy and feeling like ass since Saturday. So far, we’ve paid two veterinarians $550 to assure us that she’s basically okay, but I still worry, especially since I’m leaving tomorrow. I keep joking to Shane that he’d better not break any of the dogs while I’m gone, or else I’ll never leave the house ever again…but actually I’m more serious than not.

These photos, by the by, are of the Great Autumnal Sun Pursuit, the 2010 kickoff of which was Saturday. Every fall, I schlep the dog beds around the house, following the sun’s rays as the day progresses. All five of the dogs like to chase the sun, but Kaylee and O-Ren are the most tenacious contestants. My little baby had better feel better soon, lest she let Mr. Golden Sun outrun her. Cue: sad marshmallow.