Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Friday, November 25, 2005
Happy Fur Free Friday and Buy Nothing Day
Mornin’ All, Mickey thanks again for the link to the Fisk photos. Your poem “Stillborn” is amazing...the kind of writing that will stay in the reader’s mind for a very long time. Thank you very much...should be mandatory reading for all soldiers everywhere.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/25 at 08:21 AMPowerful stuff indeed Mickey.
Reminds me of a Stephen Jay Gould quote. It seems ugly after your poem, but its one I throw at people who use phrases like ‘the great unwashed’ and ‘cattle’:
“I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.”
Different kind of violence, same stunting of human potential.
Posted by Mew on from England 11/25 at 09:29 AMMorning all...excellent poem, Mick.
I’d like to give a shout out to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico in honor of our man Carlos Delgado...a true Puerto Rican gentleman.
Posted by JOS on from Calle Colón 11/25 at 11:28 AMThanks for the shout out Mickey!
Great radio interview you posted yesterday, I got a chance to listen to it on my way home last night.
Peace,
Posted by Luna_C on from Goin' to the states... 11/25 at 11:37 AMI was among many Canadians who were very pleased to see Delgado ‘sit down’ for his beliefs. (I’m not certain, but I think he was booed at some away games in the US for doing so)
I for one (who does not follow baseball) was happy to see him make his opinion known about the war...it redeemed him somewhat for appearing in milk commercials for the dairy board some few years before that.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 11/25 at 12:10 PMGood afternoon, everyone. Thanks for the kind words about my poem. Mew, I must say that the quote you offer is not ugly...it’s perfect. Exactly what was needed. Thank you. I’ll re-use in a main post soon,
Luna: You rock.
JOS and Amelopsis: I didn’t know about the dariy ad. That sucks. But, in terms of his anti-war stance, I’m glad Delgado will have a larger stage now. As a Yankee fan, I wanted him in pinstripes but I truly believe the corporate Yanks—who play “God Bless America” at every game—avoided him precisely because of the anti-war attitude. Let’s see what happens at Shea Stadium.
I’m off to the gym now. I’ll check back in later.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 12:18 PMSo much work to be done indeed, Mickey! Thanks for doing some of it - and brightening up the lives of others in the process.
That NYT item you quote sounds like satire - hasn’t the US military - and every other military for that matter - ALWAYS found it ‘difficult to distinguish insurgents from people rounded up who post no security threat’? When reality beats fiction ..
Good poem, Mickey!
And before I forget: hi to all of you MZ’ers! Hope you all enjoy the upcoming weekend.
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 11/25 at 04:04 PMI agree, Helga. The NYT often reads like satire.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 04:12 PMThat really IS a great image, RMJ!
And re the NYT, Mickey: what I also object to is the fact that one so often has to read between the lines to find out what they are really saying.Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 11/25 at 04:19 PMI agree again, Helga. As Chomsky says, we have to dig down several paragraphs deep to find the truth in the NYT. All the corporate propaganda that’s fit to print.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 04:50 PMHello MZ, RMJ, and fellow expendables
Mickey, you ask “why not make every single day ‘fur-free’ and as many days as possible “consumption-free”?
The latter proposition reminded me of the lyrics to Blueprint (Fugazi): “never mind what’s been sellin’, it’s what your buying, and receiving undefiled.” Anyway, I’m right with you concerning our couterfeit consumerist culture, espeically now with the holiday season and all.
As for the fur-free friday site, you might enjoy Steph McMillan’s cartoon on Gale Norton if you haven’t seen it already. Please see: http://tinyurl.com/886vg
P.S. - I read your short piece on Alcatraz at ZNet. Look forward to reading the book (50AR) as well.
Posted by RT on from Houston 11/25 at 04:55 PMHi Mickey, Rosemarie, JOS, Helga, Mew, Luna and Amelopsis -
Superb image, Mickey, and unforgettable.
Writers strain and struggle throughout their entire lives to create even a single such sentence. And you’ve not yet reached your full potential. There are great works still to emerge from that mind and those fingers, my friend. Thanks.
Rosemarie’s absolutely right: That image should be somehow implanted in the mind of everyone who even imagines himself / herself holding a gun. Cops, too, and hunters, everyone…And Mew, another amazing moment for me this morning, as I read that quote. I’ve been feeling exactly that, recently, but I’m not articulate enough to pen such a simple, profound truth. Thanks very much.
Speaking to everyone, Whitman says:
“...I sing the songs of the glory of none, not God, sooner than I sing the songs of the glory of you...”JOS - I’d sure like to hear more about PR.
I must admit, the place has “captured” my imagination…Helga - You’ve got the Times pegged, all right.
It’s surely true of the mainstream media, generally. Fortunately, if one looks “between the lines,” long enough, one sees books by Chomsky, Zinn, Blum, Z. - and the truth begins to become clear…Posted by joe on from Oregon 11/25 at 04:56 PMHi RT - didn’t see ya. Y`all take care, down there…
Posted by joe on from Oregon 11/25 at 04:58 PMHi Everyone, I have a question. We all seem to agree about fur but what about leather?
My little town of Bennington just made national news. The link is below.
http://tinyurl.com/8jgagPosted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/25 at 05:54 PMHey RT...always a pleasure to hear your voice. Thanks for the cartoon.
Hey Joe, here we are again.
Rosemarie, I love this line from the Vermont article: “It’s absolutely unacceptable. They (teachers) don’t have a license to hold forth on a particular standpoint.” If “particular standpoints” are taboo, I guess someone should toss all the mind-numbing textbooks in the recycle bin.
As for leather, I go into it in the article linked today. But for the sake of sharing, here’s what I once wrote:
A great victory within the death industry has been keeping leather immune from the stigma of fur. Not only is leather marketed as discrete from the slaughterhouse that makes it possible, it enjoys an enviable reputation for “cool.” Shoes, boots, sneakers, skirts, pants, and the ubiquitous motorcycle jacket-no other fiber or material can compete with the $1.5-billion-and-100-million-animal-skins-per-year U.S. leather industry.
One reason for an ever-expanding leather market is the fact that red meat consumption has dropped over the past 25 years. “Leather is not simply a slaughterhouse byproduct,” says animal issues columnist Carla Bennett. “It’s a booming industry and an important part of the slaughter trade, since skin accounts for approximately 50 percent of the total byproduct value of cattle.” Leather is also made from slaughtered horses, sheep, lambs, goats, and pigs. Thus, the well-documented horrors of the slaughterhouse relate not only to what we eat but also to what we wear. “When dairy cows’ production declines, for example, their skin is made into leather; the hides of their offspring, ‘veal’ calves, are made into high-priced calfskin,” adds Bennett. “Thus, the economic success of the slaughterhouse (and the factory farm) is directly linked to the sale of leather goods.”
Another tactic for procuring animal skins is hunting. Species such as zebras, bison, water buffaloes, boars, deer, kangaroos, elephants, eels, sharks, dolphins, seals, walruses, frogs, crocodiles, lizards, and snakes are murdered solely for their hides. These animals are often endangered or illegally poached-and death is rarely swift or painless. Alligators are clubbed with axes and hammers and may suffer for hours. Reptiles are skinned alive-or “flayed"-to achieve suppleness in the leather. Once flayed, they can take days to die. Kid goats are boiled alive.(see next post)
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 06:04 PM(continued from previous post)
A clever tactic of leather makers is to label their products “biodegradable” while pointing out that synthetic versions are usually petroleum-based. However, as detailed by Sally Clinton in Vegetarian Journal, the tanning process acts to “stabilize the collagen or protein fibers so that they are no longer biodegradable.” In turn, the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology explains, “On the basis of quantity of energy consumed per unit of product produced, the leather-manufacturing industry would be categorized with the aluminum, paper, steel, cement, and petroleum-manufacturing industries as a gross consumer of energy.” The primary reason for this is that over 95 percent of U.S. leather is chrome tanned. “All wastes containing chromium are considered hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” writes Clinton. The PETA website goes even further:
Among the disastrous consequences of this noxious waste is the threat to human health from the highly elevated levels of lead, cyanide, and formaldehyde in the ground water near tanneries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the incidence of leukemia among residents in an area surrounding one tannery in Kentucky was five times the national average. People who work in tanneries are dying of cancer caused by exposure to dimethylformamide and other toxic chemicals used to process and dye the leather. The coal tar derivatives used are extremely potent cancer-causing agents. According to a study released by the New York State Department of Health, more than half of all testicular cancer victims work in tanneries.
However, as mentioned earlier, challenging the leather industry also involves debunking the added component of the material’s reputation. This has already begun in the gay community. “To eroticize dead animals is gross,” said Adam Hodgins, a member of the gay activist group, Triangle Trash, before protesting at a “Mr. Leather” contest in Ottawa. “We just want to be there to have a presence and say we have an issue with this,” says Triangle Trash co-founder Jenn Dobbie. “A lot of animal rights people don’t want to challenge it because they’re afraid of being called homophobic. But we don’t care.” Hodgins, Dobbins, and other passed out pamphlets about the leather industry and suggested alternatives like vinyl and rubber shoes, clothing, and even whips. Vegetarian and animal rights groups are hoping such awareness can spread to other comrades. “It is time for bunny huggers and tree huggers to unite and throw out the leather Birkenstocks,” says PETA’s Poorva Joshipura. “There’s nothing ‘natural’ about poisoning the Earth to make shoes, purses, and belts from animals’ skins.”
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 06:05 PMThanks, Mickey. I get it. No fur, no leather, and no silk. That’s easy for me.
About the news story about the school. A couple of years ago, in a little town north of here, the police went into a classroom in the middle of the night. They wanted to examine the bulletin boards in the classroom of a teacher who had been vocal in opposing the war.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/25 at 06:24 PMI read that article earlier today, Mickey. I neglected to comment, mostly because I felt so guilty about how little I tend to think about such things. A great read, my friend - painful, but essential.
We’re so vicious, so brutal to all that lives. Why?Rosemarie, thanks for the link and your posts.
I dashed off a quick note to the principal just now. I suggested that their superintendent would probably prefer that the children study and memorize lists of clothing worn by a perpetually naked king. Schools always seem to have “license” to do that…Posted by joe on from Oregon 11/25 at 07:07 PMJoe, I didn’t even think to send a note to the principal but after reading your last comment, I immediately did so. Thanks. I hope others will do the same.
You ask why we are so vicious and brutal and I’m tempted to say we’re led by example. In addition, so many of us live in frustration and alienation that it sometimes feels good (at least temporarily) to be master over something (child, spouse, animals, whatever).
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 07:29 PMHere is a letter from Cindy to Barbara.
http://tinyurl.com/dph2cPosted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/25 at 07:41 PMMickey, about the poem. The imagery of a body, of bodies, being shredded by bullets, of bullet holes, of bloodsoaked violence, of young life stolen before daybreak...none of that is poetry. But the will to write it down, and speak of it, unpopularly--when one could look after one’s own interests much better in other ways (so society would have us think)--that will is poetry. That’s the poetry we have to be, and that you are. Thanks for that.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague 11/25 at 07:51 PMThanks, RMJ. That letter is amazing. If Cindy runs for President in 2008, it will put ideas like this on the national news.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 07:51 PMSorry, Keir, we were typing at the same time. Thanks for your thoughts.
I’d like to read my poem with your sax playing alongside me.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 07:54 PMMickey, pleasure would be all mine, and we will do this when next I’m in NYC or you’re in NL--and both will happen.
ps: the little pre-concert speech is up at my blog now.
Cold, wet and 2:30 in the morning in The Hague. Later all.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague 11/25 at 08:19 PMHey Mickey… always the dilemma-- is it okay to shop at Mooshoes or someplace else for non-leather goods on Fur Free Friday/Buy Nothing Day? Well I broke the principles anyway technically-- on my way home from Queens last night I bought the Land of the Dead dvd, and it was technically today at that point, sometime after midnight. Oh well-- I could lend it to you so you could view the extra ghoul effects, justify my purchase… (after you get a dvd player)
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 11/25 at 10:13 PMAlso, in my post-Thanksgiving haze, been listening to Ball of Confusion a lot. I have a link around here somewhere to lyrics for both the Temptations version and another that cover bands have adjusted for it… both feeling very apt today.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 11/25 at 10:15 PMJames, I know you were being somewhat playful with your post but I must say I’ve really come full circle on this. I’ve recently realized that I’ve sometimes sounded as rigid as Dubya ("Either you’re with us or against us") in my writing and speech.
Buy Nothing Day, to me, is a statement made on the first official Xmas shopping day. Someone (like you) who makes a purchase at a vegan shoe store, in my mind, is not necessarily the target (although we all can be wasteful, of course). I think the spirit of the day is about reaching those who turn this time of year into a consumerist frenzy. So, I’m not playing judge. Who the hell am I to judge anyway? I feel this entire struggle is more about making allies and comrades...and not trying to figure out how this one isn’t a true vegan or that one is a fake leftist or whatever hair we want to split.
Anyone, on a much lighter note: when I was a kid, I had the 45 of “Ball of Confusion.” I knew every word and probably still do. I love that song.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/25 at 10:32 PMWell said, Mickey. Today (Saturday) is Buy Nothing Day ("Koop Niets Dag") here in NL, and we’re observing. However yesterday we went out and bought a shitload of food (partially because we thought the weather was so awful and we planned on doing a lot of cooking on the weekend, partly because, well, we couldn’t buy anything today). With our limited budget we technically don’t need to stop and think about reducing our level of consumption--it is already quite low. But still. We spent at least twice what we normally spent because we decided to buy mostly organic. What you say about splitting hairs is so right. The “rules” are there for us; we’re not there for them.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague 11/26 at 05:41 AM
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