Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Saturday, September 09, 2006
"The art of lap dining"
Feh! That NYT stuff is bad enough, but I read last week in an Independent (yeah, the one that publishes all of Robert Fisk’s stuff) supplement on organic food an uncritical item about the growing movement among UK chefs to “bring veal back” to respectability. I propose phasing out the word “veal” in favor of “calf” or “baby cow”, and instead of “duck liver pate” perhaps “mashed blood filters of a hormone injected bird”. Which reminds me…
I was once in Krakow to play some gigs with a close friend from Mexico on his first visit to Poland. He wanted to get a kebab (for the North Americans perhpas unfamiliar...quasi Middle Eastern street food ubiquitous throughout Europe: usually some kind of meat mixed with salad ingredients and served in a pita). At a crowded kiosk on Krakow’s busiest street he accidentaly asked for “cow” instead of “beef”, and everyone who heard erupted in laughter…
In Polish, “kal” (pronounced like English “cow") means “shit”.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 09/09 at 08:06 AMNice, Keir. You managed to comment on the topic and tell a Saturday story at the same time. That’s some cool kal.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/09 at 08:13 AMHey Mickey and Keir, I hear all that on all counts, but on the other hand… Fox News is pretty far-right, isn’t it? I just mean that when I ride my bike to work, I usually lock up right in front of the windows looking into their studios, and often pass some of their on-air personalities (sic) on the street around there… an the revulsion I feel really is a genuine visceral reaction.... hm.
Which continues throughout the day at work, but that’s another story.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 09/09 at 09:02 AMGood Saturday Morning, Mickey, Keir, James & all.
Just wondering if that Bruni article was meant as satire.
This war we have now of the right vs. left media is puzzling to say the least. Is there no news outlet out there publishing the truth and nothing but the truth? Does everything need to have a political bias attached to it? Where is the integrity of news reporting of the past, or has it always been like this?
Posted by Canadian Observer on from 09/09 at 09:50 AMHi Mickey, Keir, and James.
Canadian Observer… It has always been bad but I think it has now reached a new low. I can’t think of one good investigative reporter in the usa...well maybe Helen Thomas and Amy Goodman...Leslie Stahl asked one very good question during her career. Robert Fisk is very good but he is not a usa journalist. The elevation of Katie Couric is a perfect example of why leg matters more than journalistic talent. Katie did a good job with the medical issue but the rest of her career is bland.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 09/09 at 10:53 AMHey Mickey!
Right Left Middle...I’m in the middle and it’s a tough place to be when both Right and Left are full of Horse S...you know what I mean!
Posted by John Douvlos on from Long Island City 09/09 at 12:05 PMI’d like to see an article in the NYT about how difficult it is to get a vegetarian (let alone vegan) belly full in the scenario Bruni reviews. It is quite ridiculous how the disconnect between the food on our plates and the face that used to belong to it is re-inforced.
Kal indeed...let’s call a spade a spade and a pig a pig, etc.John Douvlos: I agree that bullshit abounds from every direction, but are you suggesting that the ‘middle’ is innocently caught in this crap sandwich?
None are free from responsibility.Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 09/09 at 12:49 PMCanadian Observer (and RMJ and all)...
whaddya think of The NewStandard? I like it.Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 09/09 at 02:02 PMHello Expendables. Another summery day here in Astoria.
John Doublos is a voice from my distant past. How did you find this place, John? Hope all is well with you and your family.
As for your “middle” comment, I’m reminded of something Kristen Henderson of Antigone Rising wrote about yours truly:
“Mickey Z. reminds us that complacency is (so) not sexy. He inspires one to stand up to the things that don’t pass the tummy test. Those of us who choose the middle of the road will only get hit by a car.”Captcha sez: think
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/09 at 02:11 PMDamn, dude… I bet that was one of those times when you had to remind yourself that you’re married, right? She can run me over in the middle of the road anytime… oh man, I’ve been inside way too long today, see you later…
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 09/09 at 02:37 PMYeah, it was either that or Michele reminding me. That Kristen is something else.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/09 at 03:23 PMThanks Keir. I will pay more attention to The NewStandard.
About “the middle”. It has moved so far to the right that the middle isn’t in the middle any more.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 09/09 at 03:26 PMWith all due respect to my old pal, John, I believe the term “middle” is a cop-out. It’s too safe.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/09 at 03:57 PMPart of an e-mail I just received from Mike Ferner, remember him? He was arrested recently because someone didn’t like his t-shirt. He wrote a great article about the incident.
“...Online at: http://www.campdemocracy.org
Speakers available for interviews: http://www.campdemocracy.org/speakers
Four Iraq War Vets Detained at PentagonWhat: Press Conference with veterans who have been detained, and possibly arrested, at the Pentagon
When: 9:30 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006
Where: Camp Democracy on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., near Fourth Street.
Four veterans of the current war in Iraq and one supporter (a total of five young men) were detained at the Pentagon today after they attended an open house and left behind flyers providing information about the lethal effects of depleted uranium.....”
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 09/09 at 04:04 PMA propos: http://tinyurl.com/p4kdt
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 09/09 at 05:17 PMThanks, Empress. If only all lunchboxes were vegan lunchboxes...or at least most lunchboxes.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/09 at 05:42 PMMickey Z., “American Methods” by Kristian Williams will be on C-Span 2 (airing early tomorrow morning, 9/10 @ 5:30 Est.) if you can record or even watch it. I highly recommend it.
dwPosted by dw on from 09/09 at 10:15 PMThanks, DW.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/10 at 06:01 AMI just thought it seem to fit with recent discussion. I won’t go on about this but re our short exchange a day or two ago, “A counterculture is good, DW but as long as the dominant culture is threatening all life on the planet, we’ll always be in danger.” With all do respect isn’t a new logic precisely what we need to counter the current dominant one?
Posted by dw on from 09/10 at 06:36 AMThere’s always been a counterculture and always will be. My point is there won’t always be a human society unless the current culture is dismantled and I believe that will take more than just the creation of another counterculture. Or perhaps I am misunderstanding your use of the word “counterculture”?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/10 at 06:44 AM“I believe that will take more than just the creation of another counterculture.” However, counterculture (and not “just another counterculture") IS the place to start, no? Not to be overly sarcastic but robots aren’t going to do it. Call former football legend Woody Hayes what you want, Yogi Berra’s clone or whatever, but he said it best, “You win with people.” Seems like as long as the proverbial ball doesn’t get rolling and a dynamic and resonating voice is not established, we’ll always be looking for this so called missing link - whether that’s more about the self-help/guru phenomenon or the same old anarchical soapboxing. The point is I think it’s safe to say we’ve exhausted all avenues in the “dope show.” It’s time to get wise about serious solutions to free us from the insanity. Here’s a suggestion in getting started. Perhaps “dismantling” isn’t the best tact to take for a strategy. Not to get too “Marxy” but we want the current culture to wither in a restorative sense. I think the more we can bend the overall message AWAY FROM retribution (retributive justice) the better. It all comes down to the fact that indeed nothing happens without PEOPLE making something happen.
Posted by dw on from 09/10 at 07:57 AMI see your point, DW, and agree with some of it...but I think the current culture is beyond “restoration.”
Feel free to bring this conversation onto today’s comment board, DW. So more folks can join in.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/10 at 08:16 AMhey, i haven’t gotten to this point with my head in the clouds. i agree with you, a significant portion of the current culture is beyond restoration. it takes all kinds, unfortunately. but then again most things don’t come easy. it’s not easy for everyone. just like the current administration who are clearly anachronistic thinkers. However, if you take a look at past administrations for example, you’ll notice that most have only managed to “slowly” disenfranchise and marginalize millions. This isn’t to be ignored in that at least these types can play the game. The main lesson here is not to be sucked in by the anachronistic crowd and their hyper-rhetoric - not to engage in retributive justice.
Posted by dw on from 09/10 at 09:03 AM
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