Piggies

Everywhere there's lots of piggies
Living piggy lives

- lyrics taken from "The Beatles" song, Piggies

It is a sad indictment of human beings, generally speaking, that pigs suffer the reputation of being referred to as a greedy species. From what I have read they are remarkably social and smart animals far undeserving of the acrimony we sometimes impute to them. The humble pig trumps just about any other animal I know when it comes to getting bad press. For example, drippings of gluttony comes to my mind when I hear the word, "swine," and depending on the context, being called a "pig" is similarly unctuous. In my opinion calling even a corrupt police officer a pig is crass and wrong. Indeed, it is most unfavourable to be accused of living in a pigsty rather than a sharksty, spidersty, or snakesty. However one refers to human beings pinning them to a pig is not kosher.

[Forgive me for a tangent] Funnily enough though, this takes me back to a Goodies sketch called Lips, Or Almighty Cod where Tim Brooke-Taylor tried to rile a fish by word-baiting it, "You stupid fish. You are nothing but a fish, you fish!" The extent to which Tim failed to impress Cod with human superiority says more about neurosis as it also does about the fact fish know us to be bores (pun intended). Let's face it one scrapes the bottom of the barrel where pork is concerned. Cannily, even fish know how to cast a deprecating remark.

In some human circles to be addressed as a fat pig or even a simple pig for that matter is tantamount to a call to arms. Greed, covetousness, avarice, rapaciousness, gluttonous, and pleonexia, whatever. When I learn of humans whose noses are well in the trough the rage inside me crackles. I can not, can not stand it, even though I know I will be a hypocrite in pointing fingers. And here, my reader, lies the rub. I know full well my squeals will be flawed. It is just that an itch is one of those things, you know.. Of the scratching part - well, what can I say? Except. I am nothing but a stupid human being, a very stupid human being!