Mickey Z

Cool Observer

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Rats and novelists...which is more misunderstood and maligned?

Posted by Mickey Z on 11/01 at 05:42 AM

will post about rats in a minute.

in the meantime i just have to share this one…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051031/od_nm/malibu_dc

Posted by michael on from scotland 11/01 at 07:14 AM

That´s funny, Sunday I had lunch with a friend from Ireland who told me she had a pet rat when she lived in France, an affectionate one who´d give her small kisses on her hand.
About the post on yesterdays´ topic about ´genial´ artists, no-one has to choose between being successful and being a warm person - I guess it´s a matter of remaining humble while you´re working with such vast energies.

Posted by Owen on from Barcelona 11/01 at 08:21 AM

Today is a holiday so I got all day to make a start. I write longhand before typing it all up in one go, what about you guys?
50,000 words in one month is a lot for me too, my longer novel 50,000 has taken me since June to do but I make a lot of writing warmups in the morning to fill one notebook every two weeks so praps I´m getting there. Remember we´re free to write the worst crap imaginable if we want, keep this in mind and it liberates you from the clutter of other people´s expectations and your own too. If it helps you to write quickly without punctuation, do so and add in whatever you want later, just keep the pen moving and nuts to rereading or editing. I wish you all the best.

Currently reading:
Foucault´s Pendulum - Umberto Eco
Politics Of Ecstasy - Timothy Leary
Anatomy Of Restlessness - Bruce Chatwin
Robert Crumb anthology in Spanish, translation pretty good

Posted by Owen on from Barcelona 11/01 at 08:33 AM

I hereby apologize to all rats for repeatedly calling various members of the Bush Administration and their predecessors in the US and counterparts in other nations--both individually and collectively--"dirty rats”. While they all seem to have the ability to laugh and to gnaw through concrete, they lack the kind of sensitivity that rats have, at least in their tails. Let us think up a new taxonomic designation, and let it not be a part of the Chinese zodiac. Let it be politicus disgustus.

Here’s something I should TELL y’all: if you feel like hearing some experimental sounds on the radio, I will be performing tonight on Den Haag Radio at midnight (continental europe--that’s 6pm in Astoria, Queens). A live stream can be found at http://www.radiotonka.nl. We’ll be doing stuff with text, recycled and hacked instruments, and live open-source programming. Fun!

Posted by KBN on from The Hague 11/01 at 08:37 AM

Oh yeah, and Mickey, I will be attempting to make some sort of coherent 50,000 word novel-type thingy by the end of this month, but in order to do so, I need to not sign up to do it. Consider me an expendable Expendable.

Posted by KBN on from The Hague 11/01 at 08:40 AM

Good morning all, Mickey, perfect timing today with this. One of the lead news stories of the day was about mice singing. The Expendables ARE The Ratical Pack!

Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/01 at 08:43 AM

Maze rats dream of cheese. Maze rat scientists dream of maze rats.

Posted by Owen on from Barcelona 11/01 at 08:48 AM

Dang fucked that up, should have been ´maze rats dream of mazes´.´

Posted by Owen on from Barcelona 11/01 at 08:52 AM

funny - i was doing a bit about animals for my blog at the same time - going to leave it for tomorrow now. i put up something else.

the animal in question is the biggest cat in the world. a lion? a tiger?

nope. its a liger...seen here with the president,the first lady and the twins.

Posted by michael on from scotland 11/01 at 08:53 AM

I read Lee’s article in Dissident Voice yesterday, and then went on to read several more of her past articles as well. Nice work, Lee. I learned a lot. Good writing, very important topics.

Posted by suzanne on from 11/01 at 10:21 AM

Another great post Mickey!

I was never a big fan of rats. Never really met one before. However my Wife on the other hand is a long time rat lover and in our 5 1/2 years together I’ve become a huge fan of rats. 1 thing your listing of rats facts was missing. Rats live on average only about 2 years if they ever hit 3 they are truly ancient indeed. Which makes the joy of knowing them a very bitter sweet experience and a constant reminder of how short and sweet all our mortal time is. Since I’ve met my wife we have had 12 rats only 4 of which are still with us and they are already deep into there second year. We call them the golden girls. Sadly rats are also very susceptible to tumors so a majority of our fine little wee ones passed away from cancer complications.

Some of our rats.
http://www.peppersoup.net/temp/rats/index.html
http://www.peppersoup.net/temp/rats/april2004/index.htm

These are old photos. Only Marakesh, Sage and Newt are still with us. The necklace at the bottom was made for my wife to remember Badger by. There is a bit of his hair inside. The nekkid one is actually a hairless.

Rats can be a very rewarding experience to know. If you consider having one as a pet be sure to get at least two, they are very social animals and will go crazy from loneliness if alone for to long. Be sure to do your research before getting any pet! It’s never a good idea to take responsibility for another’s life without knowing what your getting into.

Our Favorite Rat book. An excellent and very quick read.Highly recommended!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060012358/qid=1130859255/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-5623614-2963050?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Our Favorite Rat movie! A very funny family flick starring Pete Postlethwaite. Excellent fun!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NGAI/qid=1130859309/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5623614-2963050?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846

Hooray for Rats!

Good luck to everyone participating in the write a novel this November! After the gauntlet was thrown at me the other day I seriously, seriously considered jumping on the bandwagon too. However work is shaping up to be a very busy month for me and on top of which I have like 4 major art side projects I’m currently working on in my spare time which would suffer considerably if I made the commitment to a novel instead. I wish you all the best of luck and I’m very interested in hearing your experiences as the month progresses. I have the utmost confidence in all of you! Go Team Expendable!

Posted by Luna_C on from the Rat Haus 11/01 at 10:40 AM

G’morning, all. For a millisecond, I hesitated in making the rat post this morning. I thought it might provoke a collective “huh?” Silly me...today’s comment board is a joy to behold. Thanks for all the rat info, Luna...and glad to hear some novels are starting up as we speak.

Suzanne? Feel like writing a novel?

I’m off to do laundry. Be back soon.

Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/01 at 11:22 AM

“At Christmas I wished for a rat in the hope no doubt of stimulus words for a poem about the education of the opening race. Actually, I wanted to write about the sea, my Baltic puddle; but the animal won out. My wish came true. Under the Christmas tree the rat came as a surprise...how self-assured my gift stood there, as though no objection were possible, as though nothing were more natural than a rat under a Christmas tree.”

-opening paragraph of The Rat by Gunther Grass. I´m going to read this now, thanks Mickey.

Posted by Owen on from Barcelona 11/01 at 11:48 AM

Me write a novel...uh, I think I’ll pass. I don’t have an ounce of author in me, Mickey. My husband has all the talent with words. My creativity lies elsewhere…

Posted by suzanne on from 11/01 at 12:01 PM

Regarding rats-- us Scandinavians totally rule, don’t we? Not that Danes and Norwegians are all the same, but still… I bought the Nanowrimo book yesterday, unfortunately my plan to start off strong were interrupted by picking up overnight proofreading shift last night, now haven’t slept in days… anyway, have same problem you do, whether to start something new or spend month revising and adding on to existing work. Mr. Baty says no, only new work allowed for various reasons, but we’ll see… I’ll register when I wake up, I promise. It’ll be so exciting!

The oracle says ‘followed’, as in followed MZ’s advice about nanowrimo.

Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 11/01 at 12:13 PM

Hello all…

I haven’t had time to read all of the rat info here today, but I do know one thing about them...they were among the first mammals to appear on this planet and most likely, will be among the last...long after we are gone. They have a good way of living...they survive on what others throw away...we throw away so much that I am quite sure that there are more of them alive at this moment than ever before in the history of this planet.

You know what the best thing about writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days is? There is absolutely no pressure on the author to be good, and that just may lead to something great. Because in my own experience, there is no worse writing than that of someone trying to be good. Later

Posted by JOS on from an island in the sea 11/01 at 12:13 PM

New Chomsky, well worth reading:

http://tinyurl.com/9x44w

Posted by the Infanta on from NYC 11/01 at 12:37 PM

http://tinyurl.com/9v94s
so would you -i guess it’s wolfowitz now-save wolfowitz? two wolf’s in a row, what are the odds.

Posted by tm on from far from the madding crowd 11/01 at 01:16 PM

Thanks for giving us all this information about rats, Mickey! Might go some way towards rehabilitation of these very intelligent animals.
And I LOVE the pic with the liger and the President and his family, michael.
And hi to all the other MZ’ers. A very warm day coming up in Daylesford, Australia - about 88F (32 Celsius) and it is not even summer yet ..

Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 11/01 at 04:17 PM

Owen,
WOW - you are reading FOUR books at once?? I find that if I read even 2, I only ever get anywhere with one of them.
I am currently reading David Lodge’s ‘Small World’ - very funny and insightful.

Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 11/01 at 04:19 PM

And JOS, in an interview on German TV about 25 or so years ago, Doris Lessing said that rats might indeed be the only animals (and among animals one should include humans here) left after a nuclear war. Very resilient creatures!

Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 11/01 at 04:25 PM

been trying tho think of something to say about rats but all i can think of is that i still don’t like the disease-ridden little bastards.

Posted by michael on from scotland 11/01 at 04:39 PM

Maybe you need to join this club, Michael: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clubrats2

Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/01 at 04:40 PM

maybe, maybe not

i think ligers are a sick persons idea but i still prefer ligers to rats.

Posted by michael on from scotland 11/01 at 04:42 PM

In “defense” of rats, I must ask: Can a liger gnaw through concrete?

Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/01 at 04:44 PM

no but it could probably knock it down

Posted by michael on from scotland 11/01 at 05:27 PM

Yes I´m reading four Helga, but one is a comic book. One for the metro, one for bathroom, one for bed and the other carried loose around with me.

Posted by Owen on from Barcelona 11/01 at 06:20 PM

I like your style, Owen. I tend to carry a lighter (usually paperback) book on the subway. Always leave one in the bathroom, too. I typically read at least two at a time.

Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/01 at 06:39 PM

Suzanne and Mickey, thank you for your encouragement. Actually, I believe that it was through reading Dissident Voice pieces that I first met Mickey and Michele. Small web, isn’t it?

Love & liberation,

Posted by Lee Hall on from 11/01 at 07:26 PM

when i was younger, frequent viewing of that mighty mouse cartoon led me to believe that a super rat was one that wore a cape with an S on it. am i the only one?
has anyone read The Ratcatcher by Marina Tsvetaeva it’s based on the pied piper of hamelin. it’s on my reading list. http://tinyurl.com/dm22a

http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatsMice.htm

A Little Fable by Franz Kafka translated by Willa and Edwin Muir:
“Alas,” said the mouse, “the world is growing smaller every day. At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when at last I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I must run into.” “You only need to change your direction,” said the cat, and ate it up.

Posted by tm on from fourth chamber 11/01 at 08:22 PM

http://www.greatpointedarcher.com/

amusing pr fun

Posted by nancy on from dc 11/02 at 08:47 AM

Thanks, Nancy. I learned more about rats (and human opinion of them) than I imagined...just by making a post here.

Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/02 at 10:51 AM

Mickey, your math does not compute. If they can breed up to 7x/year, with up to 22 per litter, that equals 154 offspring in a year, not 15,000. If you were in charge of the treasury, we’d be in the same situation we are in now. What did GWB call it in the Gore debates? Fuzzy math? (not that I am calling Gore’s math fuzzy, but yours seems to be).

Posted by Nechama on from NY 11/02 at 02:29 PM

Hello Nechama. What that stat means is that a pair of rats breed pups who, in turn, start breeding within 5 weeks. Hence, one pair--under ideal conditions--can be responsible for 15,000 births.

Will I see you at one of my NYC talks?

Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/02 at 02:34 PM