Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Monday, July 16, 2007
Let's take a field trip to Utah
Here’s a request for Mickey. How about a little story about you in that dress. Every time it flashes before me, i wonder what the occasion was. Let us into the event, and your favourite dresses. and how about some new pics? it’d be lovely. Keep blogging.
Posted by old guy writer on from northern california 07/16 at 05:07 AMI saw Utah Phillips, once, at Godfey Daniels, Bethlehem, PA. I agree with his opening page statement and at the same time I am remember a phone conversation with a friend who’s going on a 3 day awareness developing quest. The difficulty of our habitual behavior being such an obstacle to moving beyond.
Posted by joe of maine on from 07/16 at 09:17 AMHello Expendables in general and Joe in particular. Hey old guy, this should help explain the dress.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/16 at 10:16 AMA plug for plugging in, indeed.
Utah Phillips and Ani DiFranco did a great CD called “Fellow Workers,” a live recording of labor & solidarity tunes. Check out the cover art: http://tinyurl.com/2fq96w
I promised a “Sicko” review but don’t have a page to post it on and don’t want to clog the blog with a bunch of text. I’ll stick it on at the end of the day and post a short notice for the next few days a la “Look at the close of biz Monday for a Sicko review.” Ritchie, I look forward to your feedback.
Re: Getting busy. The section starting “Jack, relax...” is their only foray into rap, but it works. http://tinyurl.com/ytkfpx
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 07/16 at 10:33 AMMickey, 3...I think the dress is very nice, though I would have preferred a mid-thigh cut. I think legs are very attractive when lower thigh and knees are exposed. I’m sure you can take that dress up very easily if you want.
Posted by joe of maine on from 07/16 at 10:43 AMHas anyone ever heard that Charles Lindbergh had a second family on the sly in Nazi Germany?
http://tinyurl.com/22fez7
I’m shocked, shocked! (Captcha sez ‘easy’)Outing the left: more Republicans, conservatives, and/or fascists self-destruct than are thwarted by movement action.
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 07/16 at 12:15 PMIs Georgia about to Execute an Innocent Man?
Hi “old guy writer” , Mickey, joe, Zen, and all others. Here’s something we can do. We can try to save the life of Troy Davis who will be executed tomorrow unless someone intervenes. This is from the DN site.“...Outcry is growing over the scheduled execution of Troy Davis. He is set to be killed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday for murdering a white police officer. The murder weapon was never found. There’s no DNA evidence or other physical evidence. Seven of the nine non-police witnesses said they were coerced by police and have since recanted their testimony....”
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 07/16 at 01:07 PMHere’s more info on Troy Davis.
Zen: Feel free to post your Sicko review...perhaps in 2-3 parts?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/16 at 04:16 PMThanks for the link about the dress, Mickey. I agree with Joe that it is very nice. I thought there might be an extremely exciting underside to you, which you wished to reveal to the world, but No, nothing so wonderful, even though your event looked wonderful. I’d recently watched BREAKFAST ON PLUTO, and now every man I see in a dress this week reminds me of that film. Perhaps life here is too quiet, and I’m imagining that life is more exciting than it actually is. Me, I prefer pretty old fashioned below the knee skirts and tailored blouses. But I’m a touch old fashioned and romantic.
Posted by old guy writer on from northern california 07/16 at 06:21 PMFor what it’s worth, I had practically a whole roll of toilet paper stuffed in up top to help me fill things out.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/16 at 06:23 PMMickey, 10...what was the toilet paper for?
Posted by joe of maine on from 07/16 at 08:55 PMIf I was gonna wear a tight dress, I wanted to make sure I had a nice rack.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/16 at 08:56 PMMovie Review: Sicko (2007) 3.5 stars
As someone who holds Mr. Moore in contempt for his abandonment of previously-held principles (a la Paul Wellstone), this film was viewed for its possible contributions to the documentary form; the role of documentaries as stand-ins for the failed media system is an important one. Whatever political betrayals Moore still has ahead of him, his high visibility and skill as a documentarian are apparent. Overall, the film succeeds in pushing America’s backward and corrupt health care system into public discussion, though not without Moore’s now-trademark cavalier approach to history and context.
The most basic question that can be asked of a nation concerns how it responds to citizens in need. More specifically, “Do you help someone, or let them suffer and die?” Many issues in society fail to meet this mortal gravity, but they are not part of this film. Americans in dire need are shown, some posthumously, describing the failure of the health care system to render them assistance in staying alive and healthy. Doctors tell how they shamefully aided in the denial of service (which is, ironically, a information technology crime) and were rewarded for it. These scenes reminded me of my short time in licensed practical nurse training, where the issue of managed care was discussed. I noted that for all the acrimony that insurance companies earn, it is doctors who bear the ultimate blame, because without some crossing the line to seek profit, no medical orders could be issued and the system could not operate (it bears mention that for nurses of all kinds, the existence of medical orders is paramount). This comment was met with a brief sympathy for a certain talented physician who left the field rather than kowtow; systemic criticism was beyond the director’s intellect.
The film fails to tackle this issue, though does briefly target the American Medical Association for its perennial hostility to universal health care. The usual suspects are lined up for a drubbing - insurance corporations, members of Congress, lobbyists. Then, the film’s great crime is committed, the notion that Hillary Clinton’s efforts to achieve universal health care in 1993 were an admirable effort destroyed by sinister forces. The truth is that the kickoff to that so-called reform effort happened in Jackson Hole, WY, with a private meeting of high officials from the major insurance companies. The idea of systemic improvement starting with insurance industry participation is ridiculous, and in the end Hillary and her half-baked plan were deservedly hammered into powder (political bullshit, 500mg tablets).
In the same boat with this ridiculous assertion was the true value of the film: comparing health care in other countries with that of the US. In Canada, France, England, and Cuba, the rather quiet and effective delivery of medical care, examined from many perspectives, highlighted just how primitive the United States is. But the most important aspect of this was how rapidly the discussion of health care spilled into other parts of life; how it was a part of decent wages and vacation time, how pregnant women, and the resulting children’s, health and well-being were not open to question, how much less worry each and every citizen contended with.
The keynote of the film was appropriately from a black American expatriate in Paris. When the table was opened to discussion as to why there are such stark differences between similarly-developed nations, she noted: “[In France,] the government is afraid of the people. [In America,] the people are afraid of the government.” If there is any radical value to this film, it is that Moore has (inadvertently) brought this fundamental truth to the fore. All of the Americans shown in declining or collapsed health and circumstances are meek and uncertain. Elsewhere, the clarity and vibrance of citizens is self-evident: in France, rescind job benefits and eight thousand outraged employees will pay the offending party a visit. Personally, I think it a sad day when a wealthy liberal filmmaker can accomplish more in 120 mintues than dozens of talking heads in the allegedly-movement left. Still clinging to outmoded and failed tactics of decades ago, the idea of achieving universal health care is currently no more practical than eliminating the Electoral College. Until those who hold wealth and power are made to feel the same desperation, fear, and loss as their victims, discussion of universal health care or other social advances in the US is moot.
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 07/16 at 09:09 PMMickey and Fam == sustainable communities… start with one’s neighbors—YUP—I like it...because it works for my fam in N FT Myers—and in St Cloud—1 fam at a time—http://tinyurl.com/219h27 == a lil’ JOAN JETT DOIN’ == THE SLY/FAMILY STONE CLASSIC “EVERYDAY PEOPLE” == ...and then == again u’ still have to be conscious OF THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY—A JOE SOUTH CLASSIC --super big Gibson guitar lead—kinda like I imagine Mickey use to play during his rock era == http://tinyurl.com/3xygbr == and finally THE LIL’ RASCALS VERSION/MONTAGE == COMMUNITY WITHIN A COMMUNITY—way cool—watch and enjoy == http://tinyurl.com/ 38lwec == smile—captcha says .. natural ..
Posted by Richie on from st cloud / n ft myers 07/16 at 10:28 PMOPPS ..one too many spaces for the RASCALS tinyurl ... here we go again == http://tinyurl.com/38lwec .. thank you, darla, spanky, alfalfa ...and ROBERT BLAKE AS Mickey ?? the lil’ devil’’—captcha says “living” == nitey nite - all!!
Posted by Richie on from st cloud / n ft myers 07/16 at 10:40 PM
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