Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Friday, January 26, 2007
The Nation wants you to eat meat
Hey, just have a minute, and I forget if either of us have mentioned this before:
http://www.newyorker.com/critics/content/articles/070122crbo_books_shapin
Haven’t read it all yet, but… well, see you later.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 01/26 at 07:58 AMGreat article Mickey! And I love Gary Francione. Bob and Jenna of Vegan Freak Radio are going to be doing another interview with him this week.
It is interesting that Lazare talks about scarcity, and creating abundance out of scarcity. Maybe he should read Diet for a Dead Planet…
Great link James!
Morning all. Chilly but sunny here. I know this has been a mild (or global warmed) winter but I’m ready for summer anyway.
Posted by Deb on from NoVa 01/26 at 08:14 AMHey Deb… and rest assured that is NOT one of my herd there up on the main page pouncing on that kid… not today, anyway.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 01/26 at 08:23 AMHello Expendables...from a freezing cold NYC.
Why am I not surprised to see two vegan Expendables first to weigh in here? That New Yorker review rivals the one I wrote about...but it’s The Nation that’s supposed to be progressive. As I said, very few lefties get it.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 08:38 AMI forget which terms we’re offended by now-- liberal, freak, or “left”. I’m left-handed, so there’s always that… off to my buddy Steve!
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 01/26 at 08:41 AMare non-vegan expendables allowed here today?
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 09:09 AMAs long as you check your T-Bone at the door…
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 09:14 AMGood morning Mickey, Deb, James…
Since a young age, long before I became vegetarian (I still lapse where dairy’s concerned), I was quite bemused by responses or attitudes such as the author’s, to non-meat-eaters. Man oh man, there are entire continents where huge segments of the population have been vegetarian for millenia! I know lifelong vegetarians who never tasted tofu or even encountered it until well into their 40’s! Of course I suppose in those parts of the world they are only beginning to realise what living to excess really means - mistreatment of animals grows in India as it does in so many places. Quarter of a million birds killed here there and everywhere to feebly attempt to stop an epidemic of our own creation. (sorry for the rambly lack of cohesion again)
Mickey you wrote a very good, pointed response to that review. I thank you for it.When Cats Attack!!! (James how do you know they don’t get out to the park while you’re away? They’re wiley, you know!)
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/26 at 09:18 AMI have no vegan credentials. i lived as a veggie for abut 3 months but that was due to location rather than design.
aside from that, i don’t know what puropse this serves but i am going to give you some quotes i just got emailed.
they are from a british tv game show and are genuine answers and i think in the interest of international solidarity it is important to pass these round. there are so many “americans are stupid” things out there… well, british people are stupid too it appears.
some of these are funny, some just utterly bizarre…
Something that makes you close your eyes: “Dark..”
Something that comes in pairs: “Rabbits..”
A way of toasting someone: “Over a fire..”
A Boy’s name beginning with the letter J: “Gerald..”
An animal with horns: “A bee...”
A medieval weapon: “Hand-grenade..”
Something made of wool: “A sheep..”
Something a bridegroom might wear: “A dress..”
Something a train-spotter would have in his pocket: “A magnifying glass..”
Something you put out for the birds: “Worms..”
A way to prevent snoring: “Put a pillow over his face..”
A word used to describe a very hot day: “A very hot day..”
Someone who works early hours: “A burglar..”
Something made to be wheeled around: “A hammer..”
A reason for kneeling: “To be beheaded..”
A measurement of liquid: “Paint..”
Something that Father Christmas does when he comes to your house: “Feeds your pets..”
Something that comes in 7’s: “Fingers..”
A vocalist known by only one name: “Michael Jackson..”
A yellow fruit: “Orange..”
Something associated with Liverpool: “The Yellow Brick Road..”
A boy mentioned in a nursery rhyme: “Little Red Riding Hood..”
Something you hide in your socks when you go swimming: “Your legs..”
A place you would keep a pen: “A zoo..”
Something you beat: “An apple..”
Something associated with rain: “Water..”
Something you make into a ball: “Eggs..”
A game that uses a black ball: “Darts..”
Other than ‘carrier’, a type of bag: “Horse..”
Something you might find in a garage: “a grand piano..”
Something you keep in the garden: “A cat..”
Something that has a shell: “Batman..”
A sign of the Zodiac: “April..”
A mode of transport that you can walk in: “Your shoes..”
An animal with big ears: “A bear..”
Something you do on water: “Wallpaper..”
A musical instrument you can play in the bath: “A drum kit..”
Something associated with Egypt: “Cigars..”
A part of your body you only have one of: “Your big toe..”
Something you pull: “A potato..”
An animal used as a form of transport: “A turtle..”
A type of large cat: “Persian..”
Something people might be allergic to: “Skiing..”
An occupation where you need a torch: “A burglar..”
A well known superstition: “Running in front of a car..”
Something you use a microchip in: “A fish-fryer..”
A dangerous race: “The Arabs..”
Some famous brothers: “Bonnie and Clyde..”
A part of the body you have more than two of: “Arms..”
Something you find on a fire engine: “Coal..”
A famous royal: “Mail..”
Something you do before going to bed: “Sleep..”
An item of clothing worn by the Three Muskateers: “A horse..”
An animal you see at the zoo: “Dog..”
Something you might do in a power cut: “Read a book..”
A famous Parisian landmark: “Hawaii..”
A famous Irishman: “Disraeli..”
The first place detectives look for fingerprints: “The floor..”
Something you associate with the sea: “A coffin..”
A famous Arthur: “Shakespeare..”
A type of cut: “Skull..”
A weapon in the game of Cluedo: “Dice..”
Something people take to the beach: “Turkey..”
A reason someone digs a hole in the road: “Grave digger..”
An ingredient in chicken stuffing: “Chicken..”
Something a girl should know about a man before marrying him: “His name..”
Something you keep in a garden shed: “A gardener..”
A song with moon in the title: “Blue Suede Moon..”
A famous cowboy: “Buck Rogers..”
A method of cooking fish: “Cod..”
A part of the body beginning with N: “Knee..”
Something red: “My cardigan..”
A kind of ache: “Fillet-o-fish..”
Something you open other than a door: “Your bowels..”
Something with a hole in it: “A window..”
Something you do in the bathroom: “Decorate..”
Something you put on walls: “Roofs..”
A domestic animal: “A leopard..”
Something that floats in the bath: “Water..”
Something in the garden that’s green: “The shed..”
Something a blind man might use: “A sword..”
The last thing you take off before going to bed: “Your feet..”
Something that flies without an engine: “A bicycle with wings..”
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 09:31 AMHello Empress. This is truly a great line: I know lifelong vegetarians who never tasted tofu or even encountered it until well into their 40’s!
Michael: Those are classic and this one is downright macabre:
A reason for kneeling: “To be beheaded..”Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 09:42 AMGood morning Amelopsis, Mickey, Deb, and James…
I am not quite there yet. I still do dairy and eggs, but I am trying. I have perfected’ my rice and bean recipe but confess to adding a dab of sour cream on top. I think Mickey says use tofu. I will try harder.
Democracy Now was good today. The author of “Blackwater” was on and also there was a discussion of that new weapon system that should outrage everyone. It is now called “Active Denial”. I think that the original name was “operation Sheriff”. They probably changed the name so that the inference that the system would be used on civilians in the usa would not be so apparent. This system will be used on labor strikers etc. Wait till every small, rink-dink town has one of these systems to be used by the local police force.///////During the protest which led to my arrest, none of the protesters had any weapon or any intention of any violence. The police came with their full force, police dogs, guns, batons, state troopers, sheriffs deputies. It looked like they were expecting a full WW2 type invasion from some foreign power. I stood silently holding my protest sign and other protesters put on street theater. The other women were in burkas holding dolls to represent the Iraqi babies.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/26 at 09:44 AMthe one i find funniest/scariest is
“a dangerous race?”
what you gonna say? the indy 500, paris to dakar, le mans 24 hour?
no
“the arabs”
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 09:46 AMYes, Arabs are the “problem child" of the world now, just as others in the past were gratuitously labelled by proselytizers of some military machine…
Posted by sk on from 01/26 at 10:31 AMVery good article Mickey...I’m not a vegetarian...I would recommend plant food over meat. I smoke cigars...can’t recommend killing a tobacco plant. My favorite snake is an Anaconda. Your article represents the need for the individual to transcend ‘their’ social conditioning that started on day 1...most people want a new society to drag their old, flawed thinking into...How is that supposed to work? I don’t know if plants feel pain and rattlesnakes are not the rattles stupid parents should give to their young children. Only parents reserve the right to poison their offspring.
Posted by Joe of Maine on from 01/26 at 10:41 AMHello RMJ, Michael, SK,
This made me stop:
“Even open-minded people in the West sometimes feel a sense of resignation that maybe the bigots are right: Maybe Islam just is intrinsically backward, misogynistic and violent.”Humanity seems doomed to blame everything and everyone but ourselves for the malfeasance of religions. It’s all in the interpretation that these things go wrong.
(assuming of course that religion of any sort feels like the right thing for you in the first place, I myself prefer my spirituality ‘dogma-free’)Captcha says “bad”.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/26 at 10:43 AMPersonally I enjoy eating meat and would have a very difficult time living as a vegetarian. I would very much like to see the whole meat industry radically changed away from factory farming and feel that the whole industry is set up to take the reality of the experience as far away from your consciousness as possible. Ideally My wife and I would raise our own chicken meat and eggs and then buy cow and/or pig meat from small local farms that raise them organically and environment friendly. Currently we do the best we can. Buy organic and local when possible, shy away from fast foods. Eat a balanced diet.
Animal testing is flat out wrong and needs to be stopped. I support having pets but hate the pet industry. Animals shouldn’t be thought of as property and need to be respected for the individuals that they are. Yes that includes our hypothetical chickens. I don’t shy away from the fact of the matter that you are killing one living creature to feed yourself. The whole point is that you are conscious and respectful that you are doing exactly that. I don’t try to kid myself by eating meat I am taking a life that has as much reason to be here as I do.
I have a similar view of abortion. The woman has the right to choose what she does with her body. Just don’t shy away from the fact you are taking the life of someone else.
Hope I still get in the door…
Posted by Luna_C on from the Delta 01/26 at 11:44 AMoops! Focusing so much on my post I forgot to say Hi to everyone!! I did enjoy your rebuttle Mickey! He was very off base with his comments.
Peace and love!
LunaPosted by Luna_C on from the Delta 01/26 at 11:46 AMGood day everyone. Hope all is well.
Luna pretty much echoed my thoughts on the subject. I do have to admit that additionally though, I sometimes have a negative knee jerk reaction to vegans and vegetarians, which goes to show me just how deep our social conditioning really goes. I’m not proud of this, but I’m working on it.
Here’s something that I found last night, which I immediately thought that you all might enjoy if you haven’t see this site already. I picked out my favorite to start with:
http://www.thoseshirts.com/imaomil.html
Zoom in for full effect. It would be funny, if it wasn’t so true. Really illustrates the problems we’re facing… it’s not just a matter of enlightening everyone to what America is all about, it’s sometimes a matter of getting them to realize that such behavior is wrong. Really have to have faith that deep down humans are a moral species, which we certainly don’t have any evidence of.
Posted by Banta on from relocated to sunny Florida 01/26 at 12:47 PMEvening all,
I’ve been sort-of-veggie for, shitting hell, nearly 17 years now. Its funny, in an oh-so obvious way, how many of the arguments we encounter every single time its revealed we’re dietary deviants show up in such a weasely article. Its interesting though that Mr Lazare makes a revolutionary connection in his ridiculous Jacobin comment; not sure what sense to make of it, other than perhaps he’s as ignorant about the French Revolution as he is about vegetarianism - its all just a mass of stuff he doesn’t like.There’s been an interesting series on the telly lately, this Britisher survivalist/backwoodsman type called Ray Mears has been trying to work out what mesolithic humans may have eaten and how. Its been fascinating both from the practical value of what he’s learned from both traditional (american indian, australian aborigine, maori etc) and academic sources, and also from the point of view of the huge gap we have in that knowledge. See, telly isn’t just for moronising people ;)
Posted by Mew on from london 01/26 at 12:57 PMHi everyone....this is off topic but I just found this quote in some of my old notes. “Instead of practicing proficiency of function, #### things up instead.” Can anyone guess who said that?
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/26 at 01:02 PMRMJ
i’m guessing you did!
i am probably wring but i will double or nothing you all....
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
who was that then?
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 01:09 PMOkay, first things first. All you meat-eaters: Get out. Just kidding. I appreciate what Luna and Banta say and, man, I can understand knee-jerk responses to vegans. We can be a strident, self-righteous bunch at times. I’m really working on that.
As for the quotes, Michael beat me to it. I would’ve guessed RMJ said the first.
Michael, knowing you a little, I’d guess your quote was Orwell or Huxley.
Hello Mew…
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 01:16 PMBtw, Banta, that t-shirt is amazing.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 01:17 PMAnd Banta...you’re in Florida now?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 01:19 PMmickey - u r wrong on that one.
i think the person i am quoting might surprise a few people here, not too much, just a little
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 01:22 PMJoe from Maine: Not only the parents are poisoning their offspring.
“Prior to World War II, annual worldwide use of pesticides ran right around zero,” says author Derrick Jensen. “By now it’s 500 billion tons, increasing every year.” As a result, about 860 Americans suffer from pesticide poisoning every single day; that’s almost 315,000 cases per year. Some of the many symptoms of pesticide poisoning include: altered personality, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, headaches, hyperactivity in children, wheezing cough, liver damage, kidney damage, constipation/diarrhea, decreased sex drive, decreased sperm count, severe muscle weakness, and cancer. The worldwide death rate from pesticide poisonings is more than 200,000 per year. “Let’s be clear,” Jensen concludes. “Those in power are poisoning children, stealing their physical and cognitive health: making them weak, sick, and stupid.”
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 01:23 PMMichael, is it Sir Winston?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 01:23 PMMichael #21...I like your quote. Maybe it is from MLK.
My quote did NOT come from me. Someone else said it. As you know, I am pure as the driven snow and would never advocate “fucking things up”. hahhahah
Any more guesses?Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/26 at 01:25 PMWard?
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 01/26 at 01:32 PMNot so long ago an acquaintance asked me how I found the soy milk I use (as compared to the bovine stuff) and after my elaborating a little on the type I preferred and why, I added that it’s chock full of protein and has the added bonus of being free of the “stuff that’s in milk that you really don’t even want to think about”, when another person in the room (who’d just learned I was vegetarian a couple of moments earlier) pipes up and exclaims “oh, here comes the lecture”, in what I can only describe as a jovial and friendly tone.
Passive agressive responses in this knee-jerk fashion are really difficult to deal with for me; I’m not the type to overlook such things and really, unless it’s intended to start an argument on the topic, what’s the point?!I admire the fact that you admit to the occasional knee-jerk reaction on the topic, Banta. As you say, the conditioning starts early, and runs deep.
Personally I think that to undo the conditioning, eating a few veggie meals a week would do wonders. Tasty indian food has a plethora of options and you’ll never miss the meat (honest!)
Hi to Mew, Luna and Joe too ;)
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/26 at 01:38 PMRMJ - u r correct, MLK it was.
incidentally, january 25th is a n important night for scottish people. we (well some) celebrate the works of one of the tremendous poets of our country rabbie burns.
now, we all know that if something is popular with the populace the main strategy for the elite is to take it on board and gut it of any vestige of value.
this is waht they try to do to our bard.
for me it was a sour day when the scottish parliament on its opening day(stepping stone to independence [and wonderful thing that is] tho it may be) got someone to sing a burns poem FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FUCKING QUEEN…
if you can translate yourslef through teh scottish parts of it and get to the meaning you will understand what a travesty that was..... here are the lyrics… “a’” means “all”
Robert Burns..
A Man’s a Man for A’ That
Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head, an a’ that?
The coward slave, we pass him by -
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an a’ that!
Our toils obscure, an a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the gowd for a’ that.What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodding grey, an a’ that?
Gie fools their skills, and knaves their wine -
A man’s a man for a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an a’ that,
The honest man, tho e’er sae poor,
Is king o men for a’ that.Ye see yon birkie ca’d ‘a lord,’
Wha struts, an stares, an a’ that?
Tho hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a cuif for a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
His ribband, star, an a’ that,
The man o independent mind,
He looks an laughs at a’ that.A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an a’ that!
But an honest man’s aboon his might -
Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Their dignities, an a’ that,
The pith o sense an pride o worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.Then let us pray that come it may
(As come it will for a’ that),
That Sense and Worth o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree an a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That man to man, the world, o’er
Shall brithers be for a’ that.gie = give
gowd= god
sae =so
aboon = abovethere are plenty of websites that translate the rest
you get the idea
important night for scots this
particularly those not at homePosted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 01:38 PMHi JOS, I also think it’s Ward.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 01/26 at 01:38 PMJOS...I knew that you would get it !!! I almost typed,"This one’s for JOS” in my #20. I just knew it !
I think that WC made that statement on March 25, 2005, at least that’s what my crumpled up note to myself says.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/26 at 01:41 PMThis is fun. Thanks, Amelopsis and everyone else who is here entertaining me today. I better get back to work for a little while.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/26 at 01:46 PMAll right! Thanks for thinking of me and Ward in the same thought, RMJ...that’s a compliment if I’ve ever heard one. I’ve been reading some amazing Ward quotes in Endgame volume II lately.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 01/26 at 01:50 PMEmpress, Indian food rules all. Luckily that article didn’t say “Enormous bloody great Indian meal negates good effects of tea on arteries.”
Burns? “Respect”
Posted by Mew on from london 01/26 at 01:53 PMAnother from Ward:
“They took their best shot. I’m still here.”Even captcha sez: quite
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 01:57 PMok, i translated it, it loses something in the translation but i did my best. its late where i am so i will be very pissed off if no one comments.
is there for honest poverty
that hangs his head and all that
the coward slave - we pass him by
We dare be poor for all that!
For all that, an all that!
Our toils obscure, an all that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the god for all that.What though on homely fare we dine,
Wear hooded grey, an all that?
Give fools their skills, and knaves their wine -
A man’s a man for all that.
For all that, an all that,
Their tinsel show, an all that,
The honest man, tho ever so poor,
Is king of men for all that.do you see the naked man called a lord?
Wha struts, an stares, an all that?
Tho hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a fool for all that.
For all that, an all that,
His ribband, star, an all that,
The man o independent mind,
He looks an laughs at a’ that.A prince can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an all that!
But an honest man’s above his might -
Good faith, he can’t fake that!
For all that, an all that,
Their dignities, an all that,
The pith of sense of pride of worth,
Are higher rank than all that.Then let us pray that come it may
(As come it will for all that),
That Sense and Worth o’er all the earth,
Shall bear the love an all that.
For all that, an all that,
It’s coming yet for all that,
That man to man, the world, o’er
Shall brothers be for all that.Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 01:58 PMpost what i did and the airwaves go silent…
what about…
Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.”
- Yoda (’The Empire Strikes Back’)Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 02:04 PMI like it.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 01/26 at 02:08 PMyoda, burns or both?
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 02:09 PMboth…
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 01/26 at 02:16 PMwikipedia is useful. not excellent but it is useful.sometimes the posts get it genereally correct…
on this important day for scots i will paste the first bit and if you are intrigued you can go for more....
Robert Burns, 1759 – July 21, 1796) was a poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best-known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a ‘light’ Scots dialect which would have been accessible to a wider audience than simply Scottish people. At various times in his career, he wrote in English, and in these pieces, his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt..
“Burns is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement and after his death, he became an important source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism. A cultural icon in Scotland and among Scots who have relocated to other parts of the world (the Scottish diaspora), his celebration became almost a national charismatic cult during periods of the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature.
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 02:19 PMI wasn’t ignoring you, Michael. I just got off the phone beinginterviewed for the podcast I mentioned in the main post. While I am woefully ignorant about Burns, I did enjoy reading what you posted. Still, I related more to the Yoda line. It’s the type of reminder I need daily. Thanks.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 02:26 PMWhat can I say, Mickey? I’ll be honest and say that I still enjoy meat, probably because the vegetarian dishes I have had were not too tasty.
‘Hi’ to James, Deb, Michael, Amelopsis, Rosemarie, sk, Joe of Maine, Luna_C, Mew, Banta and JOS. 43 comments from all of you and some from Mickey - the subject has really got you going.
We’re looking forward to a cooler weekend - around 77F but again not much rain.
I hope you all have a good weekend!
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 01/26 at 02:33 PMwell… i have read the collected works of burns that inspired so many socialists,anarchists and scottish independence fighters twice
but the sad fact is i have probably seen the collected works of yoda at least 5 times.
there are no perfect solutions but grammatically incorrect solutions delivered by 900 fictional midgets should not be taken seriously
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 02:35 PMthat should read 900 YEAR OLD fictional midgets
personally i think the mistake was amusing tho
i am just trying to imagine what 900 fictional midgets would get up to
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 02:37 PMWait...Yoda is fictional?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 02:42 PM“i...i don’t believe it”
“that is why you fail”
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 02:44 PMi would like to take this opportunity to say that the last line i qouted shows how brainless hollywood tries to make people
do you think th epeople in fallujah just weren’t good enough at using the force?
wake the #### up
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 02:48 PMI agree, Michael. I wrote something related here:
http://www.selvesandothers.org/article15108.htmlBtw, I must admit: I don’t even like Star Wars and I never saw most of the films.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 02:51 PMUnrelated...but priceless:
http://tinyurl.com/2fqabgPosted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/26 at 02:54 PMi read that one at the time mickey.
superstition is rife.
when i was in nepal there were any number of tin pot charlatan gurus around.
it is a constant source of amazment to them and to me how many gullible people get taken in by that sort of nonsense.
people want to believe in something. the societies we live in preclude any beliefs of worth. but as we all know there is a huge industryt dedicated to relating things that don’t matter to things that do.
however, when the financially sanctified beliefs fall down around peoples ears and their homes are reposessed the only people left to abuse are....us.... the people who have being arguing against it...because it is malcontents like us that are ruining it for everyone.
its despicable, but despite the gains in public opinion with regard to iraq etc this is still the position we are in and we should not forget it.
Posted by michael on from exile 01/26 at 03:05 PMahhh, c’mon...Star Wars (the original series) was great. The first one was the first movies I ever saw in the theaters (at least that I can somewhat remember). As one of the first families to have this new-fangled device called a VCR I watched it some 50 times. You know, we bought a VHS...remember Beta was in competition for a while?
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 01/26 at 03:10 PMHere’s a good story that is not about what we eat-- but about how we wrap it-- or unwrap it:
Posted by Robert B. Livingston on from San Francisco, California 01/26 at 03:28 PMWhen I was wee, there was an Texan couple living next door (the US intelligence base down the road liked to send the nicer ones out into the community to fool everyone). They had a VHS, which was sci-fi in itself; I don’t know how many times me and my sisters went round to watch Empire Strikes Back. Hows that for propaganda? They were lovely people
How about “Unlearn what you have learned!” Not a bad moral from a muppet.
Posted by Mew on from london 01/26 at 06:42 PMWow, a lot of comments here today.
Glad you appreciated the t-shirt, Mickey. I was amazed that something so honest existed. Lately I’ve been thinking about how people that fancy themselves conservatives can actually tend to be more aware of the way the world really works… it’s just that they happen to actually LIKE it. Until the system does something to affect them personally, of course. (Not to say that there aren’t a lot of conservatives that are just blind followers, I’d just tend to think the mindset is more conducive to not living in the fantasy world that many liberals I know inhabit.)
And yes, I’m in Tampa, FL now, partly for family reasons, partly for economic reasons, and partly for romantic reasons (which seem to be a mistake at this point, but oh well.) I have to say though, I don’t know how long I’ll remain here… even though it’s nice having 70 degree temperatures in the winter, there’s a lot to be said for the peace and quiet of the cold country where I used to live. Ultimately, I will return someday, I’m not one who can handle being too deep in the “matrix” for too long.
Amelopsis, I try to be honest with myself if nothing else. I think Yoda would agree that’s how we grow and improve.
Still, I think I’m a long way from ditching the meat, but no one’s perfect!
Posted by Banta on from relocated to sunny Florida 01/26 at 09:26 PM
Next entry: He put a cigarette in his mouth and kinda like stared at me
Previous entry: Hair Metal, Big Money, and the 2008 campaign
Copyright © 2005-2007 Mickey Z.
