Catharsis: the "Game of Thrones is Garbage" Bandwagon

21 October 2017 [YT link]

This could have, also, been called, "HBO's award-winning garbage". It contains some brief comparisons to HBO's Rome and other shows that seem to have been (to some extent similarly?) a victim of its own success.



This ain't the only video on this topic that I've got… on the contrary, there's a whole playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZEkgohG7k7oK5ShvyvAswb-3lSWjlQe6



A.S.O.I.A.F. = "A Song of Ice and Fire", i.e., the books of George R.R. Martin (G.R.R.M.), also known under the title "Game of Thrones", used by the T.V. adaptation to refer to the series as a whole.

R-Rated Q&A: Ted Carr, Durianrider, Freelee, Charles Marlowe, etc.

20 October 2017 [YT link]

Questions asked by "A Vegan Called Quest", you can find more of him here: https://www.younow.com/VeganCalledQuest

Vegans: Want My Job? I'm Leaving in December.

18 October 2017 [YT link]

Google it: 德宏. Here's the video showing what the apartment looks like: "Vegan Anti-Minimalist Apartment Tour (Maximalist?)." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wthB1SRFig

Nothing But Regrets: Learning Chinese, Leaving China, etc.

18 October 2017 [YT link]

Reflections on the last two years or so, and why basically ALL of the decisions I made were wrong, given what I know now (and didn't know then!).



Included here: why I moved to Kunming (China) in the first place, Why I moved to Mangshi / Dehong in the first place, what the assumptions were about my career and education that guided these decisions —and what's involved (now) in my long, slow road back to western academia.

Durianrider: Channel Deleted, Case Closed?

18 October 2017 [YT link]

The case isn't over yet (next court-date is in mid December, in Chiang Mai), but yes, in many ways, we've already won —and "we" is, really, the nascent vegan movement / "vegan community.

The University is Broken: "Academically Adrift" Book Review.

15 October 2017 [YT link]

This is an hour solid, so, if you wanted to download it as an MP3, you could do so from Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel



The book in question is here:

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses. 2010. Richard Arum, Josipa Roksa, et. al.

https://www.amazon.com/Academically-Adrift-Limited-Learning-Campuses/dp/0226028569

Vegans Learning to Bake in College (+ Sex / Relationship Misc.)

15 October 2017 [YT link]

Learning Languages in Universities: Is it Worth the Cost?

14 October 2017 [YT link]

Advice nobody wants to hear!

Live-streaming on Younow, right now. (Vegan / vegans / veganism)

13 October 2017 [YT link]

https://www.younow.com/EiselMazard

Click the link to join the conversation.

Immigration: is there a "moderate" position anymore?

13 October 2017 [YT link]

The meaning of "moderate liberal" and "moderate conservative" are much more confusing than the extremes, in the context of discussing 21st century ("globalized") immigration policy.

University: Grad School Applications, Languages & You (First Nations & Asian Languages).

12 October 2017 [YT link]

ADVICE NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR!!!!

Is Veganism based on belief? Should it be?

12 October 2017 [YT link]

Trying to do the best you can, or doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do, need not be based on belief in ideal. Or, at least, this is my nihilistic perspective.

Veganism vs. Alt-Right Racism: Vegan Gains & Ask Yourself

12 October 2017 [YT link]

The Conspiracy Theory Mentality.

12 October 2017 [YT link]

A reply to a question from a Patreon supporter, just like you!

https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel

You can pay $1 per month to join the conversation, and support this channel.

Mental disability, Eugenics, and Vegan Politics.

12 October 2017 [YT link]

For more on Peter Singer's "controversial" views on disabled people and euthanasia, see:



https://www.currentaffairs.org/2017/04/now-peter-singer-argues-that-it-might-be-okay-to-rape-disabled-people



http://social-ecology.org/wp/2005/01/peter-singer-and-eugenics/



For the connection between J.M. Keynes and eugenics, see, for example:



https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/17/eugenics-skeleton-rattles-loudest-closet-left



https://www.newstatesman.com/society/2010/12/british-eugenics-disabled

Multiculturalism vs. Social Cohesion: "Trust" as a political concept.

12 October 2017 [YT link]

Yeah, my ex-wife phoned up Durianrider, Cheetah, Joe Vegan, etc.

12 October 2017 [YT link]

Colonialism & Genocide (vs. "Ask Yourself")

07 October 2017 [YT link]

Motivation: the difference between brilliant & brainless, good & evil?

06 October 2017 [YT link]

From both the teacher and the student's perspective, motivation is often discussed as a sort of meta-virtue, or even as a superpower, separating the exceptional from the mediocre and so on. However, most people think about motivation (both intellectually and ethically) in an overly vague sense, and here, instead, I reflect on (or philosophize about) motivation in education, in my own experience, with some degree of precision.



So, yes, I suppose I could have instead titled it, "Motivation & Education: Learning Languages, University & Life."

A Scam within Veganism: the "Effective Activism" paradigm.

05 October 2017 [YT link]

Primarily concerning A.C.E. (Animal Charity Evaluators) and the critique of their work offered by (1) SHARK…

https://www.youtube.com/user/SHARKonlineorg/videos

and (2) Harrison Nathan.

https://medium.com/@harrisonnathan



My own Patreon page (mentioned toward the end) where you can talk to me, etc.

https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel

The Endgame to Cultural Genocide: Cree, Ojibwe, Nez Percé (Languages).

05 October 2017 [YT link]

Marijuana Causes Brain Damage: Scientific Facts.

03 October 2017 [YT link]

[This is a high-resolution version of a video that was first "rushed-to-upload" under another title, and at lower quality.]



A stack of peer-reviewed sources presented in response to "Mic. the Vegan", who made a video titled: "Is Marijuana Unhealthy? An In-Depth Look at the Research".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOzvgmBapZ8



The link to the article that started it all (from my old blog, vegan-mind-tricks) is here:

vegan-mind-tricks.tumblr.com/post/58138831334/brain-damage-caused-by-cannabis-adult-and-infant

You can find all of the peer-reviewed sources either by clicking through the links in that article, just linked-to above, or by looking up the sources via the info shown on-screen in the video itself (really, you can see the "D.O.I." number, along with the title, authors' names, publication, etc., on-screen for each one).

Cree and Ojibwe: the Politics of Language Extinction.

03 October 2017 [YT link]

This is a short excerpt from a long discussion I had with Jae Costly (most of it will be, eventually, uploaded as a podcast to Patreon).

À-Bas-Le-Ciel vs. Ask Yourself! Racism, Veganism & the Meaning of Life!

30 September 2017 [YT link]

Some people will rush to ask, "Did we talk about racism?" Or even, "Did I confront him about Cory McCarthy / Tara McCarthy?" Yes, we talked about all that of those things at length (and more!), but there was nothing confrontational about it: we had a totally productive conversation.



THIS IS JUST A PROMO. Maybe it'll take 12 hours to upload the "real" video, we'll see. However, I don't mean to mislead you: the video I'm uploading now is just my set of reflections after the conversation wrapped up. We DID NOT record the original conversation, partly because it transpired between 3:00 AM and 8:00 AM in Isaac's time-zone! He said he wasn't feeling too sharp, but, in fact, he was exceedingly sharp throughout the entire dialogue.

New Values: Politics, Personhood, Meaning of Life.

30 September 2017 [YT link]

Sam Harris is Lying: Cognitive Science, Buddhism & Meditation.

30 September 2017 [YT link]

Here's the link to my earlier video (mentioned at the conclusion of this one), "Buddhist Meditation, Pseudoscience & Sam Harris":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmH-tma1upY

When your grandmother bakes you a non-vegan cake.

30 September 2017 [YT link]

https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel/posts

^ That's the link to Patreon if (as mentioned) you want to talk to me / join the conversation.



Added to the "Vegan Minds Tricks" playlist (videos about talking to meat-eaters… possibly including your grandparents.)

https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/playlists

Economics and/or Activism: Soymilk is More Profitable than Cow's Milk.

29 September 2017 [YT link]

@15:58 "Changes in cultural values will prompt people to recognize the underlying economic reality but, conversely, cultural values can completely blind people to economic reality, and prevent them from making the right decision."



Many left-wing vegans presume an antipathy between capitalism and veganism, but is there, perhaps, "an economic approach to veganism" embracing the relative efficiency (and profitability) of vegan products in free market competition?



This video is "vs. ModVegan" to some extent, and you can find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXwREs2xdJSI0Zj9nL2MzKA/videos



And, yes, as mentioned, you can click through to my Patreon to join the conversation: https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel

Mic the Vegan IS WRONG: Brain Damage from THC.

28 September 2017 [YT link]

A stack of peer-reviewed sources presented in response to "Mic. the Vegan", who made a video titled: "Is Marijuana Unhealthy? An In-Depth Look at the Research".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOzvgmBapZ8



The link to the article that started it all (from my old blog, vegan-mind-tricks) is here:

vegan-mind-tricks.tumblr.com/post/58138831334/brain-damage-caused-by-cannabis-adult-and-infant

You can find all of the peer-reviewed sources either by clicking through the links in that article, just linked-to above, or by looking up the sources via the info shown on-screen in the video itself (really, you can see the "D.O.I." number, along with the title, authors' names, publication, etc., on-screen for each one).

Autobiographical: Buddhist Meditation, Superstition & Philosophy.

27 September 2017 [YT link]

Asking "How real is meditation?" is, in many ways, just as absurd as asking, "How real is a dream?"

Activism: if you're irreplaceable you're making a difference.

27 September 2017 [YT link]

Many vegans struggle with the feeling that they're not making a difference —whether or not they (factually) are making a difference.



This video is part of the "brass tacks" playlist: https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/playlists



"YOU CAN BE REPLACED!"

Veganism: Personal Purity vs. Politics.

25 September 2017 [YT link]

One aspect of veganism is, indeed, a boycott: a refusal to buy certain products, for ethical reasons. However, it's self-defeating if/when people get stuck at this first step (which is far from the last step) to start extending the list of things-to-be-boycotted ever further (palm oil, rubber, cellular phones… you can ban it all to make yourself feel more "pure", but is this really going to bring about changes in real-world outcomes?).





(This video is a reply to Joey Carbstrong, believe it or not.)

A Vegan Diet DOES NOT Save Animals' Lives. (Brass Tacks)

24 September 2017 [YT link]

Part of the "Brass Tacks" playlist: practical discussions of "where do we go from here?" —how to make progress (not just propaganda) with/for the vegan movement.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZEkgohG7k7okWjcSH0HnY6BUbMkELHEG

Debating Meditation with Buddhists: the Fallacy of Having Faith in a Feeling…

23 September 2017 [YT link]

Faith in a feeling; is it more or less absurd than putting your faith in a stone?

On Youtube, there are no special effects: no plot, no drama. Honesty is the only currency we've got.

https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel/posts

Above, the link to my Patreon (where we talk that talk), and, below, the link to the playlists section of the channel (yes, there's one on Buddhism).

https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/playlists

Pseudoscience & the Future of Buddhism: A Nihilist Perspective.

22 September 2017 [YT link]

"So, your best friend wants to be a Buddhist monk?" [REAL TALK]

21 September 2017 [YT link]

"It is possible for modern Buddhism to be just as different from ancient Buddhism as Jesus Christ is different from Santa Claus."



ADVICE NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR.



There is, indeed, a playlist that gathers together the video (more than 25) about Buddhism on this channel (but there are over 700 videos on this channel, so, otherwise, they're not so easy to find): https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/playlists



"Shout out to Smolensk!" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smolensk

Autobiographical: Video Games and/or Real Life.

18 September 2017 [YT link]

You Choose.

Against Video Games: The Principle of the Thing.

18 September 2017 [YT link]

One of those questions of "the meaning of life" and of "having a meaningful life", this video is (suitably) included in my playlist, "Advice Nobody Wants to Hear".



A third video in this series will appear tomorrow (i.e., within 24 hours, if the uploading speed is decent) with a more autobiographical angle: a discussion that reflects on video games in my own life (childhood, etc.).

Quit Video Games. #QuitEverything

17 September 2017 [YT link]

Nihilism: "If animals don't have animal rights, why do humans have human rights?"

17 September 2017 [YT link]

Please turn on the SUBTITLES (字幕) for this one: the sound quality is poor, but I prefer to share this video than to record another, less-spontaneous version ("take two").



Thanks to Theo for typing out the subtitles. You can check out his (vegan-politics-and-youtube-related) website, here:

activistjourneys.wordpress.com/eisel-mazard



From my perspective, this video discusses an important set of issues within veganism, and clearly shows the contrast between ideological and nihilistic thinking, the contrast between utopian and empirical thinking, and so on, with conclusions that link my current perspective on vegan politics to my past work on Buddhist politics and Communism (HINT: I'm Anti-Communist).

IRL "debates" with meat eaters are not really debates…

16 September 2017 [YT link]

…they're, uh, more like non-debates.



vegan / vegans / veganism

Making Money Out of Defamation & Slander: the End of an Era?

15 September 2017 [YT link]

Anna Scanlon's channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAnnainWonderland/videos

My own channel has a playlist of past conversations I had with Charles Marlowe (Vegan Cheetah) and, as is alluded to in this video, there's a remarkable contrast between the earlier conversations and what his channel would later become: https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/playlists

The Mars Colony is Never Gonna Happen: Outer Space is Bunk.

14 September 2017 [YT link]

I grew up being taught a lot of lies about space exploration and the future of humanity's place in the solar system/galaxy. Really, I had to learn that much of what I was taught as "science" (in this respect) was just as much a fable as hearing about elves or yetis in the forest, etc.

"How to Create a Vegan World" (Discussion) [vs. Tobias Leenaert & Peter Singer!]

10 September 2017 [YT link]

Tobias Leenaert's new book is titled, _How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach._ You can buy it on Amazon, here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Create-Vegan-World-Pragmatic-ebook/dp/B073JLS3CV/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8



(And, yes, the book has an introduction (and an endorsement) from Peter Singer!)

On Critique Itself (vs. Unnatural Vegan)

09 September 2017 [YT link]

Vivisection, an Insider's Perspective (Vegans in Lab Coats?)

09 September 2017 [YT link]

[This is the full, 37 min. version] Some vegans treat vivisection as the most extreme transgression of animal rights, but some (even the "vegan abolitionist", Gary Francione) are willing to admit that it's much more morally complex than the situation we're facing in factory farming and leather-production (i.e., a situation in which the animals are being raised and killed for products that are unnecessary, unhealthy and obsolete). Can we really say that the use of animals in laboratories is "obsolete", "unnecessary", or "unhealthy" (in terms of human health)?

Chiang Mai: Paradise for Some?

08 September 2017 [YT link]

Paradise for some, purgatory for others? Conversation with an anonymous, mystery guest (who is no longer on youtube / vegan social media generally). This was recorded in June of 2016.

Patreon Question: Cosmopolitanism & Gaining "Perspective" Through Travel.

08 September 2017 [YT link]

https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel

^ Pay $1 per month to support the future of this channel.

Ancient Religions vs. The Future of Veganism

08 September 2017 [YT link]

This is a video primarily (although not entirely) discussing Buddhist philosophy (with reference to the future of veganism, etc.).

Marxism within Veganism; Socratic Method is Dead.

08 September 2017 [YT link]

A non-book-review of: David A. Nibert, "Animal Oppression and Human Violence", in large part discussing the weakness of "anti-capitalism" (in this case, crypto-Communism) in relying on overly-vague and obfuscatory terms.



This video was recorded in December of 2016, and was originally titled, "Socratic Method is Dead; Don't Dehumanize Your Opponents."