Mickey Z

Cool Observer

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Ben Tre logic

Posted by Mickey Z on 12/06 at 12:06 PM

Michele and I saw Milk and Zen was right: “must-see” is putting it mildly. Awesome film. I’ll write more soon.

Where is everyone?

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/06 at 04:59 PM

Ben Tre Logic, yes, or as Derrick Jensen might say, “this culture has a death urge.”

It is kind of quiet here today, I’m at work myself pretending to be catching up on paper work.

Mickey, I read the CounterPunch thing and it reminded me of something I’ve always wanted to ask: has everyone who has ever reviewed your work collectively decided to refer to you as an iconoclast? It’s like your official title!

Posted by Maxwell Black from Arlington Va on 12/06 at 05:17 PM

As Ed Norton once said in The Honeymooners, “Maybe the phrase just fits.”

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/06 at 05:35 PM

Makes sense. I was really just finding something to blab about. I’m a wee bit isolated these days.

Let me know when you have a flier together for the Arlington thing. It’s pretty exciting and I’m looking forward to spreading the news.

Now, I’ve got to get back to monitering the meatloaf and it’s makers. Have a good weekend expendables!

Posted by Maxwell Black from Arlington Va on 12/06 at 06:01 PM

The Mother (Fucker) of All Compliments: now that’s something you haven’t been called here at CO.

Ben Tre logic follows Derrick Jensen’s Premise Four, violence flows downhill. But some beg to differ(see 2008 Mumbai attack). In some places poisoning a river would barely rate. Have the Norse lost their sense? Did they have any to start with?

Glad you and Michele liked the movie, MZ. I intend to see it again - it’s that good and there’s a lot going on. I wonder how much wider the release will be? I had to go into Cambridge to see it.

dumpster diving is good poetry. ‘d-mart’ = LOL. Dr. Hoffman has updated his earlier treatise on binning: http://tinyurl.com/63n8gv I expect the field will get crowded in the coming days (already??). The related field of food recovery is way cool as well.

Posted by Zen Prole from Urth on 12/06 at 06:27 PM

I also think I’ll see Milk again. We saw it in Queens and the audience didn’t seem to be fully engaged. Seeing it in the Village would be an entirely different experience for sure.

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/06 at 06:40 PM

Hi All

It’s cold here and I’m in my room on a Sunday morning.

No that I’m down with Mugabe but I’m so annoyed with all the official calls for him to go in the papers. Yesterday it was Gordon Brown, today it’s some bishop.

Where is the article that says: “National leader X calls for Gordon Brown to go” or “Mrs Y says, ‘it’s time for the USA to have regime change over crimes against humanity’.

It’s the same logic you mention in the post. When we invade someone and lay waste to another country it’s for good reasons. When someone else does it, it’s bad. And when Mugabe does it, he’s just evil - and we all know why special descriptions get reserved for him. Hello - old school racism.

Let’s have equal opportunity calling out of leaders - how about extremist war-monger Tony Blair and his racist campaign against Iraqis.

Posted by Andy Best from Shanghai on 12/06 at 07:08 PM

I hear you, Andy. I wrote this several years ago and it provoked some of the nastiest, most vicious e-mails I’ve ever gotten...all from so-called Lefties, of course:
http://www.counterpunch.com/mickey04152005.html

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/06 at 07:17 PM

“The thousandfold voices of the natural world became inaudible to many humans. The mountains, rivers, wind, and sea all became mute insofar as humans were concerned. The forests were no longer the abode of an infinite number of spirit presences but were simply so many board feet of timber to be “harvested” as objects used for human benefit. Animals were no longer the companions of humans within the single community of existence. They were denied not only their inherent dignity but even their right to habitat”

“Religion, rather than supplying the needed cultural therapy, is in need of a profound rethinking of itself and its role in Earthly affairs”

“The Natural world on the planet earth gets its rights from the same source that humans get their rights: from the universe that brought them into being”

‘Evening Thoughts’ Thomas Berry

Posted by joe of maine from on 12/06 at 08:27 PM

Seriously don’t lump all Nrse together like this. The Danish would totally not pollute themselves this way.

Or maybe they would, I don’t know. But I hope not.

Posted by James from Hell's Kitchen on 12/06 at 09:13 PM

Mickey and also Charles, have you seen this? So many cool-looking new places opening:

http://supervegan.com/blog/entry.php?id=1209

Posted by James from Hell's Kitchen on 12/06 at 11:50 PM

Thanks, James. I see the Williamsburg Cafe serves a tofu omelette.

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/07 at 07:52 AM

Love your blog, Mickey. I found it via some articles on populistamerica.com. Self-educated, vegan, & not-peeing-in-your-pants-with-glee-over-Obama are just a few of the attractions!

I read the BBC piece about the Norway rivers--true to form, it reads just like an obedient press release. Why was it never mentioned where this parasite is coming from? I can 100% guarantee you it’s from some human behavior that shouldn’t exist. My guess (based on what I know of US issues) is industrial or factory farming pollution. Or maybe the government itself is causing it so they can funnel all that money to their family or friends in the chemical industry.

Either way, why was this not addressed? You’d think I would stop being surprised at media laziness, stupidity, & corruption--but it’s just so offensive I can’t help it.

Posted by AngryDepressed from U.S. on 12/07 at 12:58 PM

Welcome, AngryDepressed. Hope you’ll visit often and join in the conversations.

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/07 at 01:27 PM

Thanks, James. Trust me that I know where all the raw food spots in the city are. I just wished more places offered pesticide-free food. Do you know if there’s an NYC organic restaurant list?

Posted by Charles from Jersey City on 12/07 at 01:43 PM

Thanks, Mickey! I see Charles posted after me about raw food. I wish vegan/ organic/ animal rights conventions, restaurants, festivals, etc. would come to the southern U.S. Unless we can travel far distances, we are always left out. Boo hoo

Posted by AngryDepressed from U.S. on 12/07 at 02:04 PM

AngryDepressed, I don’t know where you live, but there’s definitely an emerging raw presence down south. I know a lot of raw southerners personally. Places like Austin, Miami, Oklahoma City, Nashville, and Atlanta have huge raw communities. If you’re interested in raw foods and looking for other like-minded individuals, you may want to join meetup.com or giveittomeraw.com. The southerners I know are always throwing potlucks, parties, and the like. I plan on paying some of them a visit in the coming months.

Posted by Charles from Jersey City on 12/07 at 02:13 PM

Hello, Mickey and all the other expendables who have commented here so far - Maxwell Black, Zen Prole, Andy Best, Joe of Maine, James, AngryDepressed (sounds like Helga ..) and Charles. I have been back from Germany for a while and have visited this site in the last 2 weeks, but did not fell like commenting. My Mum’s funeral on 19 November was a very private affair with only my father, my brother and one of my Mum’s nephews and his wife present, apart from a few inhabitants of the old people’s home where my parents and now only my father live. I’m still coming to terms with the fact that my Mum is gone for good ..

And I quite like the term ‘iconoclast’ applied to you, Mickey!

Here is my link for the day:
http://www.warmadeeasythemovie.org/
Another film which features Sean Penn.

Have a good day/night!

Posted by Helga Fremlin from Daylesford, Australia on 12/07 at 06:42 PM

Welcome back, Helga. We missed you and if we can help in any way, we’re here.

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/07 at 07:04 PM

Hi all again ... Helga, hope everything is well with you. I have mailed Mickey privately about this but not really said it much on the board ... I also lost my mother to a long battle with cancer, but back when I was around 24 years old.

I know there’s not any words than can really help.

For all of us - these experiences, while personal and difficult, also serve to remind us that every life on this planet is sacred and full of meaning. We should never, for one second, forget that any so-called democratic/enlightened ‘leader’ who charismatically and solemnly talks of ‘security’ or the necessity of their wars or interventions is, in fact, a murderer who deserves justice.

Posted by Andy Best from Shanghai on 12/07 at 09:15 PM

Well said, Andy. Thanks.

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/07 at 09:17 PM

Hi Helga. Good to see you again. Sorry for your loss - as MZ sez, let us know if there’s anything we can do. Thanks also for the movie link.

Principled/indie/documentary filmmakers are doing great stuff lately. Maybe films won’t change the world, but they are an effective stand-in for the great bulk of other media that are failing at their task.

And welcome, AngryDepressed.

Posted by Zen Prole from Urth on 12/07 at 09:46 PM

Hello from chilly - make freezing - Astoria. FYI: A new post is up.

Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 12/08 at 05:16 AM

It’s a delicate HP2-K19 balance, this life. We need urgent HP2-K03
HP2-K19 action to save the planet. We need patience when saving our HP2-E26
HP2-E25own souls. 642-436 The key, I guess, is not to confuse the two 642-357 and wait around till we’ve properly connected with 640-460
640-460 our inner child before we go out and smash the system.

Posted by Certkey from United States on 12/17 at 10:38 PM