I have been drawn to stories recently. My kindle is almost out of batteries so figured I would write a blog and then walk the dog. I start my new job on Monday. I am actually a bit nervous about it. I know it is not the most prestigious job or anything like that but there are some nerves. It will be occupying 40 hours of my week. That is a lot of time. It will likely cover my current expenses. That seems to me to hit the basics of what people are looking for in jobs. I worry I will not like it. That I will be trapped there for 40 hours just to make ends meet. Welcome to the real world? I don't know. On the bright side I will be on my feet creating food. Perhaps I will meet some cool people. I guess I really don't have any expectations nor do I really want to put any expectations on the experience.
How do I spend my days now? I go on tangents. There is the Nietzsche tangent, the Hitchens tangent. I finished "Beyond Good and Evil" a few days a go and just don't really have the craving to continue to "The Genealogy of Morals." It was a fun trip to finally finish "Thus Spake Zarathustra" and "Beyond Good and Evil" but I have had my fill for now of Nietzsche. "Beyond Good and Evil" would have been a really good book to cover in some discussion class. I read it and was like ok this is pretty cool but I am sure I was missing some details or some cool insights. It can be quite the dense book at times where almost every sentence has layers to it. Oh well.
Recently I found myself on a Marion Cotillard tangent. I love her. I am watching all of her movies and then I watch interviews before or after. This brought me to an Audrey Tatoe interview which brought me to a random video and then I got hooked on this blue haired girl from France named Antastesia. I liked her videos on veganism and literature and then she comes out as an asexual. I found it all fascinating and it took up a lot of the day yesterday.
In this sense I am sure it will be healthy to get into the pizza shop and be helpful. I am kind of loving this rekindled passion for film and literature though. It started with reading Nabokov's review of "Demons" and Dostoevsky in general. Nabokov said he was a playwright whose plays are too long lol. I won't go on about that but I think the novel is one of the finest art forms. It can be so rich and so enchanting and is not confined to 2 hours. The imagination must be used. Film can be quite enchanting as well. It is all about the stories. I am a story addict.
I think it's time to take the dog for a walk. Au revoir.
Would you like an invite to My Anonamouse? It's a well-known private torrent tracker for ebooks/audiobooks. Easy to maintain a good ratio and a lot of content. If you do, PM me your email.
Btw, just had a bit of an argument with your ex-guru Robb Wolf. Dude has a bit of an axe to grind when it comes to veganism, but he conceded a point to me, complimented my thoughtuflness & takes criticism like a champ. All in all, nice enough guy (for a paleo advocate ).
fuck I should just sell some of my Pokemon cards, if no one stakes that is what I will have to do - lostaccount
I remember from his book he went vegan and supposedly had a lot of issues with it. If I am not mistaken he is actually a legit celiac's disease sufferer. I don't have celiac's disease and never had any delusions that I did so I never paid much attention to that part of paleo and if Wolf was full of shit in that respect. I just kind of took that point as "yeah, maybe there are some people who really can't eat rice and beans." The fact is that 1% of Americans have celiac disease. It's laughable to use "celiac susceptibility" as a reason to eat paleo but they all do.
You can still eat rice and beans with celiac. They don't have gluten, so just have to be careful for cross contamination. Gluten sensitivity it turns out is a real thing, but that's also an incredibly small percentage of the population.
Tbh he probably did veganism just as bad as I did it 10 years ago. I know first hand how easy it is to mess it up without the right info and proper planning and if he did it a long time ago it was a lot easier to mess up back then. People who mess it up will rarely ever have the courage to pick it up again, especially as authority figures. It was also easier to justify going back to omnivory because the powerful data on plant-based diets was mostly buried or hadn't been done yet. Thing is, he's kind of trapped now. No one likes a guy who does a 180° with what he promotes, let alone a second one. Daniel Vitalis (someone I used to look up to) is in the same boat. The guy has been on a huge denial campaign ever since he read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith. It's one of the worst nutrition books ever written but he can't figure out or admit he was fooled by it so he still goes on silly rants like "It can't be a good diet if you need to supplement B12"! Then again, this stuff is all tied into the Ancestral health philosophy, which is pretty dogmatic to begin with.
fuck I should just sell some of my Pokemon cards, if no one stakes that is what I will have to do - lostaccount
So, I have been eating whatever for a bit now. I was too obsessed with being new in Charleston and the quality in culinary arts. I have never in my life been exposed to such southern cooking and it was too good to resist. I think that was my original relapse and I haven't looked back since for maybe 3 months. I gained 15 lbs. My pants are borderline not fitting. I have tried just about all the southern cooking I want to try so it is time to get back on the plant based train. I started today. The pleasure trap is real. I thought I might have made my favorite stew wrong due to taste but I didn't. This time around though I have a much stronger vegan constitution. I think part of it is when we were on here talking about suffering and reducing the most suffering in the world among other things. There are a lot of sentient beings suffering that do not have to. All earthlings are included with homeless people and drug addicts. Then when I got hooked by Madamemoiselle Antastesia on YouTube she had a lot of good points plus I have a crush on her and am fascinated with her. So, I figured there was no better time to watch "Earthlings." Wow, it was hard to get through at times. If I was on the fence about veganism it's hard to stay there after that experience.
There are horses in the city that pull carriages for tours. From all accounts they seem to be pretty well taken care of. They are well fed and get breaks and get vacations in good conditions. I don't see anything wrong with this. These horses are bred to pull stuff. Unless there is a story of someone pulling the curtains back and finding malpractice I see nothing wrong with this.
What about my leather goods that I have already purchased? In the past I have been obsessed with leather jackets and leather boots. I think I am much more over this obsession and perhaps claiming vegan will help me to fully get over it. A leather jacket and leather boots is mostly a case of being seduced by "cool" and in many regards I am still fighting battles on a lot of these fronts. A part of me is going minimalist in regards to clothes. A part of me still likes the aesthetics of fashion but I do not wish to be seduced by "cool" and the fashion industry. There are also the times that I will be going to a wedding. Dress shoes required. I hate that actually. If I had a bit more money I would buy an Indian wedding outfit. 90 degrees in a suit and tie is a bit much. Fuck it. Fuck dress shoes but I already have a really nice pair. It is another one of those battles that goes deeper than just veganism as I have just found out writing this.
That is one of the nice things about writing actually. In the first post I wrote something about not having any expectations with the new job and I realized later the only expectation I should really have is to keep showing up unless it is really horrible or I finding something better.
But back to veganism we will see what happens. I think every time I make up my mind to go for it it has gotten a bit better and a bit smoother. I know that being a vegan is the right thing to do. It is not just about my weight and my cholesterol levels. If I am worried about helping the alcoholic across the room I am just as positioned to help so many suffering sentient beings. Values are important. We kind of make up our own values in a way based on culture or not necessarily culture. This is actually an area that I could use more education. I was always a questioning Kant's categorical imperative guy but basically used that as a go to if people asked but reading "Beyond Good and Evil" it was a voila moment in that I found someone highly regarded in philosophy that agreed that we have to look deeper than just single universal laws of ethics. I do think there are some values that are clearly better than others. Maybe I do need to go back and read more Nietzsche. I am fascinated by moral and value systems with out Christianity and what that really looks like. I think it truly goes back to Socrates and conscience. There was a time in my life where my conscience seemed broke. That or it was turned off or my life was full of so many delusions and distortions. I don't feel that way today though but using Kant's categorical imperative if everyone in the world were a vegan the world would be a better place. I don't think there are any exceptions. Certainly some people would be making less money but that money is made through exploitation in a very sick master/slave relationship. Why can't all sentient beings have rights? They do! Cows moral rights are being desecrated. The list is long. I think for these reasons and for environmental reasons in 100 years culture and public opinion will be different.
This is one of my favorite essays in regards to literature. "Good Readers and Good Writers" by Vladimir Nabokov. "How to be a Good Reader" or "Kindness to Authors." I just felt like sharing it.
"Of course, as you have guessed, the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense – which sense I propose to develop in myself and in others whenever I have the chance."
On Nabokov: I read him a few years ago but lost interest in him when I learned that he thought Dostoevsky was a mediocre writer. I can forgive writers disparaging others, but not when it's Dostoevsky. I can't respect someone who doesn't like Dostoevsky.
On veganism: Yeah, you do strike me as someone who needs a crush on a vegan chick to get him started. Jokes aside, you can use MyAnonamouse to download recipe books. There are hundreds there. "The Pleasure Trap" is also there if you want to dig deeper in an attempt to escape it. I'll send you a few points so that you're off to a good start ratio wise. I just need your username.
On the bookclub: Funny, because I was reading at the park today and I thought about that. I told a friend we should synch a reading of "Prometheus Rising!" My friend never reads anymore. He has become a slave to YouTube and just browsing random crap in general (as we all are to different extents). I then thought about what it'd be like to be a part of a bookclub and how it would influence motivation.
On the horses: we have those horses in Montreal, they're called calèches. They were actually about to get banned but the Maire claimed that Montrealers are too attached to them and he decided to invest $500,000 in them instead. The horses have to endure extreme temperatures in the summer, they have to walk on a hard surface they are not naturally adapted to, and they're under a lot of stress because of the density of the traffic they have to be in. They're exposed to a lot of noise and fumes from the cars too. Sometimes there's construction work in the way. They work for long hours and you can't really know anything about their comfort levels. And after their long day of work, usually 9 hours, they are going in a stable where they can hardly move for the rest of the day. It's really not a great life and it matters not that they were "breed for this".
On minimalism: Minimalism frees the soul. It makes you feel lighter to be less dependant on stuff. The way I see it, that stuff you own takes some of your time-- it has a place in your consciousness-- whenever you see it or think about it. Once it's gone, it's not going to be able to do it again. So, it means you're paying attention to things that are more important than that stuff as a result. I've always been sort of anti-fashion so it's pretty easy for me to wear anything. But by all means, if you have leather goods you already purchased and you like them a lot, keep them. There's no hypocrisy there for vegans, the harm's been done already. You can always donate it when you feel ready.
fuck I should just sell some of my Pokemon cards, if no one stakes that is what I will have to do - lostaccount
You might want to watch some debates on ethics/veganism/animal rights to see what arguments might still be holding you back. Stay away from the YouTube vloggers/vegan debates though. My boy David Benatar has a pretty good one:
Couple others:
Jonathan Safran Foer wrote a pretty compelling book from an unusual perspective. He appeals to a lot of "moderate" people who are interested in the subject because he's not a vegan or an activist, but he explores the topic genuinely. I think you'd like him.
fuck I should just sell some of my Pokemon cards, if no one stakes that is what I will have to do - lostaccount
On July 16 2017 01:08 Loco wrote:
On Nabokov: I read him a few years ago but lost interest in him when I learned that he thought Dostoevsky was a mediocre writer. I can forgive writers disparaging others, but not when it's Dostoevsky. I can't respect someone who doesn't like Dostoevsky.
Hahaha. I actually find a lot of truth in Nabokov's criticism. I guess it can be assumed Nabokov looked upon Dostoevsky as a mediocre writer but I don't necessarily think that. I think Nabokov has a lot of respect for Dostoevsky for what he does but Nabokov is obsessed with this artistic sense that he believes Dostoevsky is lacking. After reading Tolstoy or Gogol there is something to that. I will also say as much as a beautiful masterpiece that "Lolita" is the first time reading "Crime and Punishment" I can't even really put into words the overall greatness of that experience in many facets. That was like the absolute book for me at that point in time.
On veganism: Yeah, you do strike me as someone who needs a crush on a vegan chick to get him started. Jokes aside, you can use MyAnonamouse to download recipe books. There are hundreds there. "The Pleasure Trap" is also there if you want to dig deeper in an attempt to escape it. I'll send you a few points so that you're off to a good start ratio wise. I just need your username.
I actually think the biggest hurdle was my own portion of my mind that was telling me veganism is not "cool." It is like I could turn a blind eye to slavery in the South in the 1700's because abolition and rights for the enslaved Africans was not "cool." I still don't think I like the vegan "community" but in all seriousness being attracted to someone making YouTube videos like "oh wow, she is a vegan?" It brought the issues to the forefront instead of focusing on vanity and my cholesterol levels. It is nice to have my own curated community of vegans online even if I never meet them. I don't think I have actually ever met a vegan in real life and like most things in the South it will be less progressive. Not that I really give a fuck. I have worries that if I go out to a restaurant they are going to think I am crazy for not wanting butter on my sweet potatoes. That is kind of a ridiculous worry. I am mostly staying in now anyways and actually have come to like it.
Will MyAnonamouse have Martin Amis "Money" and other literature?
On the bookclub: Funny, because I was reading at the park today and I thought about that. I told a friend we should synch a reading of "Prometheus Rising!" My friend never reads anymore. He has become a slave to YouTube and just browsing random crap in general (as we all are to different extents). I then thought about what it'd be like to be a part of a bookclub and how it would influence motivation.
Yeah, I am more of a slave to YouTube than I would like to be and it can be left there. Part of me thinks a book club might be really lame and I just want to read what I want to read on my own time. On the other hand there would be motivation and I think some discussion could be quite stimulating. I think joining a more or less random book club on good reads is a horrendous proposition but perhaps a smaller one including LP and friends could be worthwhile.
On the horses: we have those horses in Montreal, they're called calèches. They were actually about to get banned but the Maire claimed that Montrealers are too attached to them and he decided to invest $500,000 in them instead. The horses have to endure extreme temperatures in the summer, they have to walk on a hard surface they are not naturally adapted to, and they're under a lot of stress because of the density of the traffic they have to be in. They're exposed to a lot of noise and fumes from the cars too. Sometimes there's construction work in the way. They work for long hours and you can't really know anything about their comfort levels. And after their long day of work, usually 9 hours, they are going in a stable where they can hardly move for the rest of the day. It's really not a great life and it matters not that they were "breed for this".
Yeah, I should not have wrote "bred for this." Enslaved Africans were bred to be field niggers. I was thinking about how much my golden retriever enjoys jumping into water, swimming, and retrieving things. So, what is to be done about all of these horses? Where do they go? What do they do?
On minimalism: Minimalism frees the soul. It makes you feel lighter to be less dependant on stuff. The way I see it, that stuff you own takes some of your time-- it has a place in your consciousness-- whenever you see it or think about it. Once it's gone, it's not going to be able to do it again. So, it means you're paying attention to things that are more important than that stuff as a result. I've always been sort of anti-fashion so it's pretty easy for me to wear anything. But by all means, if you have leather goods you already purchased and you like them a lot, keep them. There's no hypocrisy there for vegans, the harm's been done already. You can always donate it when you feel ready.
This chef is an idiot. Angus is a doofus and a shithead. I loved it when Benatar owned him. He never even considered that you could just let the cows live and die naturally? I actually don't know where I stand in that debate: It is ok to let cows be cows and then kill them painlessly for meat. It kind of goes along with responsible hunting. Let deer be deer and then kill them relatively painlessly (Be a good shot, only take good shots). Many more deer will starve to death otherwise. I don't think I have a problem with either of these things.
That position of deer hunting being permissible just brought me back to the thought of should we kill and harvest starving human populations?
There certainly should be more birth control around the world. I was just thinking the other day that the Catholic Church is relatively benign these days but clearly in the fields of homosexuality and contraception/birth control it far outmatches "saving" some lost souls or even just delusional comfort. Could it be causing more harm than the jihadism and womens' rights atrocities among others of Islam?
As much as I love beautiful French women speaking more or less intelligently on topics that interest me I am going to have to say going on a David Benatar tangent has been much more fruitful. I am getting obsessed again with sentience as well as morality. I will look for his book on MyAnonamouse!
The anti-natalist position is easy enough to understand. I don't need a $25 book to delve into it further? Unless I must delve further I suppose. "Debating Procreation" is probably better for that anyway. Have you read "Life, Death, and Meaning"?
I watched the TEDxCapeTown video and found that many of the arguments against eating meat resonate well with me. In fact , for many years now I believe that eating meat is morally wrong, but regardless of those beliefs I still eat meat. Does this make me the worst kind of person?? Going vegan seems very impractical to me, because I know that it requires a lot of cooking and planning. I don't even know how to cook a single wholesome and tasty vegan dish. And it seems like it would be more expensive to maintain a well balanced vegan diet. I can't remember the last time I had no meat with my dinner. My motives for not going vegan is laziness
I've been searching for a good argument against veganism to justify me eating meat, but I haven't found one yet.
I dont know what a dt drop is. Is it a wrestling move? -Oly
Not the worst kind of person but I have found that it is always undesirable to live in conflict with one's conscience.
Watch the movie "Earthlings." A little extra cooking and planning becomes easier after going through an experience like that. If you have a Whole Foods or similar store nearby you can get prepared foods which aren't too bad. They aren't ideal but laziness does not get ideal. Chipotle has vegan options that are good. I happen to enjoy vegan pizzas. Worst case you can just get some bread, almond butter, and bananas or similar options like that. I didn't know how to cook anything either but I actually enjoy it. I have a stew which I really like and can cook up rice and beans if I am in the mood. I was just telling someone this morning I was inspired to figure out some sort of vegan lasagna recipe. I spend less on groceries when I am eating vegan. That takes into account much of the time I am cooking up some big stew which I eat repeatedly. I realize that cooking and eating the same thing for a while may be undesirable but it is much cheaper. There is a pleasure to eating meat but that is mostly due to the pleasure to eating spices. The texture is also an undeniable pleasure of meat. If you think about it though this pleasure is really quite fleeting. I personally can't justify eating meat. My conscience is not conflicted on this issue and it is somewhat liberating. Not eating meat actually brings me pieces of meaning as I am in my own way in my own small corner of the world reducing suffering and doing my utmost to help fellow earthlings.
United States. Jul 14 2017 21:52. Posts 8535
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Jokes aside, you can use MyAnonamouse to download recipe books. There are hundreds there. "The Pleasure Trap" is also there if you want to dig deeper in an attempt to escape it. I'll send you a few points so that you're off to a good start ratio wise. I just need your username.
