Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
This child was left behind
Thank you all for the good wishes for my mother. When I tell her today that friends as far away as Barcelona, Manchester, Cananda, Astoria and others wished her well, she will be very happy. I have not yet read the book of today’s topic but it brought to mind “A Boy Called It.” The very young, the old, the disabled, the poor, those without the right skin color - anyone without power is vulnerable in this culture. Keir, I’m sorry I missed the performance. I am sure that you were magnificent. Are we having a birthday party here tomorrow for Mudge? I’m going to the hospital now. See you all later…
Posted by RMJ on from not there 09/13 at 06:54 AMI hope I’m not late to add my well wishes for your mother, Rosemarie. Yesterday I had an awful headache, which didn’t help the radio show and kept me thinking about me.
I recently picked up a copy of Postman’s The Disappearance of Childhood, examining part of the topic of today’s post from a slightly different angle, but presumably with similar conclusions about the general health of society.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 09/13 at 07:50 AMGood wishes for your mom today RMJ.
Keir, I’m afraid I missed the show yesterday too - also due to an unseen vice grip on the brain. (I hope yours is better today)
I remember reading a series of letters online some time ago which were all written by children in jail, or young adults who’d been in jail since childhood or teenage years. It seems to me that the damage done to the mental and spiritual condition is utterly predictable.
What’s tragic is the lack of interest from those parties responsible for meeting out ‘justice’.Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 09/13 at 09:10 AMHope everything turns out well for your mom, RMJ.
Morning to everyone.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/13 at 09:21 AMHere’s something to look forward to at your next protest:
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 09/13 at 09:40 AMRMJ, please feel free to tell your mother that friends as far away as Taiwan wished her well!
I would have thought the Air Force secretary would have more common sense than that. Obviously, the weapons should be given to allied leaders in the Third World, who perform their proper role in allowing us to exploit their country’s resources, for internal security. Then they could test out the weapons for us; and if anyone is injured, most people won’t care. For those few who do, we can just say our intentions in supplying the arms were good, it’s just that our clients are imperfect standards of democracy and occassionally make mistakes, the result of their overzealousness for freedom.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 09/13 at 11:41 AMHello Expendables...from a soon-to-be-rainy NYC. Great to see Jeremy back in the house. Next we need Mudge here for his b’day tomorrow.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/13 at 01:47 PMBtw, here’s something that may piss you off:
http://www.clarkmade.com/urinals.htmlPosted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/13 at 01:49 PMThanks for the link JOS. I’d read something about that this morning before I headed into my first class of the day. One of the “joys” of living in what amounts to a dictatorship is the continued efforts by the authorities to use whatever they have in their arsenal to hang on to their power. Of course if push came to shove, I seriously doubt our government would be too terribly concerned about civilian injuries as a result of their “nonlethal” weapons. Not that I’m a cynic or anything, of course.
Posted by Dr. B on from Oklahoma 09/13 at 02:01 PMHi everyone.
hopefully this is the right link to this song. “There is No Justice” by Lonnie Johnson: http://tinyurl.com/cejkt it was recorded March 17, 1932. You need real media player to listen.
Posted by TM on from 09/13 at 02:35 PMGood afternoon, everyone.
Mickey, I don’t know why, but that article and those pictures of urinals brought tears to my eyes. Such beauty!! It has always amazed me that we live in a society where evil & goodness live side by side, and we all get to choose the one we want.
Rosemarie, my best wishes to your Mom.
Posted by Canadian Observer on from 09/13 at 02:37 PMForgot to add my good wishes to RMJ’s mother.
Posted by TM on from 09/13 at 02:39 PMMickey, re #8: is there some special reason you’re leaking that info to us now? I find that kind of stuff draining. What’re you aiming at? You’re from Astoria after all, not flushing.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 09/13 at 04:35 PMHello TM. CO, and Dr. B.
Keir: Urine trouble now.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/13 at 04:42 PMThanks for all you do, Mickey Z. and everyone else here. I don’t think I’ve expressed my appreciation yet. The revolutionary spirit is certainly felt here and that’s incredible!
Mickey Z. writes, “yet another stark illustration of our deep societal depravity.”This sad, disturbing and depressive statement is unfortunately accurate, Mickey Z. But is this “deeply” damaged reality so ensconced, so psychologically embedded in our superficial lives? To many it would certainly seem to be the case. Lifting this enormous psychological weight does seem to be a hellaciously daunting task, and that’s not even taking in account the layers upon layers of self-affliction and abuse of slavery and other forms of barbaric domination throughout the historical timeline. Most intellectuals dismiss real, lasting change simply by the fact that these past patterns of behavior are too complex to rectify in a mere two or three generations. So for most of us not only does the here and now seem too terribly insane to deal with so is the case with the idea of grasping a comprehensively profound understanding of human history. BTW, I can’t say that I would argue with the quest of literally interpreting and retracing every stage of human history. Nevertheless, even if more and more read, learned and viscerally experienced the aforementioned, dreaded reality, in the hopes a wire is jarred within the conscience, we still remain creatures of habit. Like the Uncle Tom, overall, we still tend to seek comfort over distress and uncertainty. Thus, many or even most of us conform and subscribe to the out of sight, out of mind mantra. How else do we tolerate such atrocities? How else do we allow 30,000 children to die every single day from lack of medicines for diseases that could be cured? Indeed it seems like our only hope is to advance towards a lesser hell. However, I wonder if it might not be that this damaged reality is so ensconced in our superficial lives but rather an unexplained mental construct of our true, everyday capabilities that keep us tied to the proverbial chains. Given we make a dramatic shift towards compassion and embrace the light at the end of the tunnel, have we really been taught what to do with it? We’re unable to fully exercise the work of compassion for a better society if we don’t understand or appreciate the information and ideas we’re using them for. What guideposts exist in giving us direction to stride out of the hell - so we’re not just ‘pulling bodies out of the river’? HOW do we efficiently, productively and dexterously navigate ourselves upstream to see who or what is causing them to be thrown in?
In my opinion, human potential has been greatly misrepresented and misunderstood, until now. It’s not that your religion doesn’t adhere - it’s that what YOU believe in doesn’t adhere. The fact that your set of beliefs includes a particular religion is just one example in your list of beliefs. Everyone has his or her worldview. There is not One Way, but six billion Ways. As some of you on Mickey’s web site might already know I’m talking about a part of the piece that describes everyone’s innate ability to decide for themselves what is real and true. The film “What the Bleep Do We Know?” features a part of that whole piece. The hope is that people think about their beliefs and paradigms, instead of just blindly accepting them. In the end, “we decide for ourselves.” As Bob Marley said, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.” The film does not offer the ultimate solution to life’s mysteries, but invites viewers to ask themselves the What do I Know? question and figure it out for themselves. There is no substitute for watching it, but here’s the web site anyway: http://www.whatthebleep.com/ You can pick it up at just about any library or store that rents movies. I usually don’t write this long, my apologies.
Peace,
dwPosted by dw on from o-hi-o 09/13 at 04:51 PMwow
Posted by Youngfox on from Canaduh 09/13 at 05:42 PMKeir #2...I just left the hospital after being there all day. I told my mother that you had wished her good wishes because I knew that you did in your heart even though I had not yet seen your comment. We talked about you and she was very impressed when I told her of your “Polish” connection. I know that ethnic pride is not really acceptable these days but we have to make allowances for her because she is 95 years old and her father was born in Poland. This may be one of the very few locations in the usa, or the world, where Polka music is heard on commercial TV and radio. Ethnicity is very apparent here.
Mickey #14...Mom’s urine test results came today. They are fine.
Jeremy #6...That is sure to bring smiles to everyones face tomorrow.
dw...I will check out that link shortly.
Thanks, JOS. I will check out that link too.
Thanks Amelopsis, Canadian Observer, and TM and also anyone else I am forgetting to thank. I am having a hard time on this borrowed laptop. I really miss having a mouse.
Someone mentioned “The Dissappearance of Childhood”. I read it a very long time ago and think I need to reread it. As I remember, it was very good. Postman has written a few good ones.
What are we going to do to get Mudge back?
Posted by RMJ on from here, not there 09/13 at 07:47 PMHello again, everyone. DW: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Lots to contemplate there. As Youngfox sez: wow. No need to ever apologize for letting loose. Glad to have you join the crew here. How did you happen upon this site?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 09/13 at 08:01 PMJOS #5…
http://tinyurl.com/ezqhsPosted by RMJ on from in bed with a laptop 09/13 at 08:06 PMThanks, Mickey. How did I happen upon this site or the one I talked about earlier? If you mean this web site I originally read a couple of your articles on the Selves and Others web site, which I found interesting, open-minded and unique.
Keir: couldn’t help but notice your reference and interest in Polka music. That movie I talk about here has a pretty extensive Polish wedding scene in it with Polka music and dance. You’ll see what I mean if you happen to watch it.
RE “lots to contemplate there” As I’ve said before the movie is designed so that it’s easy to follow. Not dumbed down, but explained and discussed in terms that anyone without a background in science can understand.
Posted by dw on from 09/13 at 09:06 PMI think I would rather do my business in a seashell than a flower.
Boy, Keir sure has a real potty mouth.
BTW, was that a reference to Flushing, MI? There’s Hell, MI. But my favorite is Exit 69 to Big Beaver Road. We also have some pretty nifty roadsigns, like: “Do no pass when opposing traffic present.” Gawsh, thanks for the tip! You’d think people who needed to be told that wouldn’t get their licenses in the first place…
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 09/13 at 09:30 PMNice to have Jeremy back. Puns! I was refering to Flushing, Queens, but as long as your on favorites from Michigan, I would like to add Ypsilanti...always helpful when playing ‘geography’.
DW, lemme add my wow, but I’m just slipping in for a quick correction and musicological lesson…
Polka music in the States is not specifically Polish. It is a highly stylized blend of popularized forms of quasi-traditional Polish and Czech music. Though many people of Polish descent identify with it, Poles from Poland might not recognize it as “theirs”. (For my part, my interest in Poland originally derived from the avant-garde art music of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, so I studied there for two years, learned Polish, and now have strong ties to the people and some elements of the culture. Polkas or not, I’ll check out that movie when I have the opportunity...)
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 09/14 at 04:01 AM
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