ASOIAF: Religion & Regression ("A Song For Lya", Preston Jacobs & Stannis as Anti-Hero)

05 May 2017 [YT link]

The link between religion and regression makes it into the title, but I can't really offer a synopsis in so few words: these are themes very clearly linking ASOIAF to George R.R. Martin's earlier writing in the "1000 Worlds" book series —and, frankly, I think Preston Jacobs has missed the mark on the issues addressed in this video (so far). I discuss the political and moral perspective that George is trying to share with the reader —although many regard George's writing as depicting an amoral landscape, there is very often "a moral to the story" (especially as it pertains to religion).



TBH, I'd say that this video really gets rolling around the 10 or 12 minute mark, in terms of political analysis: give it a chance, as the opening is a bit casual and conversational.



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.

Morality without Ambition is Meaningless. ADVICE NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR [Ep. 008]

04 May 2017 [YT link]

Morality without ambition would not be morality at all.

Roaming Millennial is Right About Vegan Extremists.

03 May 2017 [YT link]

Links (as alluded to in the video) on the peculiar political legacy of Prof. Steven Best:

1. https://speakingofresearch.com/2012/10/23/prof-steven-best-gets-a-taste-of-his-own-medicine-and-doesnt-like-it/

2. http://blogs.nature.com/news/2012/10/claws-come-out-in-dispute-between-animal-rights-activists.html

3. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/420965/professors-manifesto-vegans-must-illegally-overthrow-society-save-world-katherine

Theatricality vs. Dishonesty on Youtube (feat. "Ask Yourself", Ted Carr, Cory & Tara McCarthy)

02 May 2017 [YT link]

The intro and conclusion to the video deal with a separate (but linked) issue: take a look at my past videos criticizing Ted Carr here, and you can decide for yourself if this crosses a line into bullying (of a sort that could get your channel censored and/or deleted): https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/search?query=ted+carr

Roaming Millennial: the Gay Rights Model for the Vegan Movement.

02 May 2017 [YT link]

There are, in fact, compelling reasons for why vegans need to be "out of the closet", even if it is inconvenient for non-vegans (dare I say veganophobes?) —and the future progress of veganism may resemble the past progress of gay rights in some respects, for some roughly-comparable reasons.

Sonia Elsie: Hiring an Instagram Model as your Nanny / Au Pair.

02 May 2017 [YT link]

Veganism makes this question more extreme: having someone help take care of your kid who is young (and inexperienced) BUT VEGAN seems much more appealing than having someone around who might secretly feed meat/dairy to your kid (a meat-eating nanny might feel better-informed than the vegan mom, and might never respect a vegan family's wishes, complying only if you watch over them constantly, etc.). However, just saying it out loud, this doesn't sound like a good idea: "Honey, I'm thinking about hiring an instagram model to help us take care of the baby". :-/



vegan / vegans / veganism

There will be no vegan revolution: veganism is not "class war".

01 May 2017 [YT link]

Here's the link to the full-length, 35 minute video, "Against Violence in Political Praxis": https://youtu.be/pB4LXyL80Ds

Reg Flowers: À-Bas-Le-Flowers / Reg-Le-Ciel.

01 May 2017 [YT link]

Against Violence in Political Praxis (The 35 Minute Version!)

01 May 2017 [YT link]

Violence is not just a problem as a political means-to-an-end; it is profoundly distorting in the way the whole political process is conceptualized (even in examples like veganism and the Green Party of Canada, etc., where violence has so little to offer, it remains a dominant paradigm for the whole "left wing", due to the legacy of 20th century Communism... and while veganism is not intrinsically left-wing, it has been predominantly leftist so far).



Yeah, BTW, I'm vain: this is what I look like with 5 hours of sleep (no makeup!). Recorded after waking up at 6:00 AM (having fallen asleep at 1:00 AM the night before). And, sadly, I still have way too much to say on the issue (and, sadly, I think this stuff is of real importance... I sort of wish it wasn't).



The essay alluded to, repeatedly, about the events in 1920 (revolution, violence, etc.) can be found here: https://medium.com/@eiselmazard/1920-the-other-russo-japanese-war-70deb2972c42#.zvgoq1tqb

"You're JUST a Youtube Vegan" — DON'T BE ASHAMED.

29 April 2017 [YT link]

This is "a more modest manifesto" for Veganism WITHIN YOUTUBE, and the important role that youtube plays in many of our lives. Don't quit, don't be ashamed: if youtube is the only thing remotely resembling activism you've got going on in your life, recognize it for what it is (the good and the bad), don't lose your sense of purpose, and rep your set.

Cambodia & Laos: How I FIRST Got Interested/Involved.

28 April 2017 [YT link]

Starting with my earliest childhood memory of how I learned the word "Cambodia". Maybe you've heard it all before, but maybe this is the first video you've seen on my channel, so I just disclaim: I lived in Asia for many years, two-and-a-half-years solid in Laos, and maybe about a year solid in Cambodia (a lot of time in Thailand before, after and in-between). I ended up doing a fair bit of language research, historical research, political research and humanitarian-sector research, in-and-about all of these places: they ended up influencing my life in many ways (both shallow and profound). This video omits-to-mention the role of Theravada Buddhism in the story (there are other videos on that) but you may catch the word "Pali" mentioned in passing: Pali is a language that is almost-exclusively studied by people with a serious interest in the history and philosophy of Buddhism —and, yes, I was one.

Meat: The Justifications Are Harder to Quit Than the Real Thing.

27 April 2017 [YT link]

vegan / vegans / veganism



Reply to a question posted via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel

Tori Sterling: Chasing a Feeling. :-/

26 April 2017 [YT link]

You can find Tori's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/macup101/videos



vegan / vegans / veganism

Alt-Right Racism: Vegan Gains & Ask Yourself Get Cozy with Cory & Tara McCarthy.

24 April 2017 [YT link]

The Nihilistic Approach to Humanitarian & Political Engagement.

24 April 2017 [YT link]

Posed in reply to a question from a Patreon supporter, this monologue does relate back to vegans / veganism, repeatedly, although it isn't the primary point of the discussion. Here are the links to two articles alluded to (relatively early) in the video, the first being titled: "Sex and Celibacy in the Poverty Industry":

http://www.akha.org/content/sexualabuse/sexandcelibacyinthepovertyindustry.pdf

The second has the more prosaic title, "Observations on an aid worker sex scandal in Laos": www.akha.org/content/sexualabuse/onerebuttaltothenoradreport.pdf

Anti-Depressants: Euphoria, Sorrow & Science.

23 April 2017 [YT link]

Durianrider can't be wrong about everything: even a broken watch is right twice a day. I can't recall Unnatural Vegan ever taking a clear position on this, hm?



Want to hear more from Dr. Peter Breggin? LINK: https://youtu.be/u3K-CojzvzQ?t=7m20s



vegan / vegans / veganism / Supreme Banana / Supreme Camana

How I lost my virginity (teenage philosophy & politics)

17 April 2017 [YT link]

BTW, Sonia Elsie kicked me out of her Facebook group for no reason (and she used to give my videos the thumbs-up/whatever… Facebook idiosyncratically sends you alerts about that). Sonia: this video is for you (and my loss-of-virginity story totally pwns yours ya done know).*



* [Not that I've even seen her video.]**



** [On youtube, it seems to be customary to have strongly-held views about videos you haven't actually watched yourself, hm?]

Dinner is Ruined: How Non-Vegans View Vegans

17 April 2017 [YT link]

…and vice-versa.



ModVegan's channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXwREs2xdJSI0Zj9nL2MzKA/videos

The other guy is called "Callum's Corner".

N-Word Please: Tara McCarthy, "Ask Yourself" & Vegan Gains.

14 April 2017 [YT link]

My nom-de-guerre.

14 April 2017 [YT link]

IT'S IN ENGLISH, NOT FRENCH. If I added "nom de plume" to the title, it'd be even worse, hm?

Martyrs Make Lousy Leaders: Beyond Gary Yourofsky.

13 April 2017 [YT link]

Gary Yourofsky: Bitter, Burnt-Out Loser Blames "Pacifist" Vegans for His Own Decision to Quit.

12 April 2017 [YT link]

Yeah, you can call it a "retirement", but the title of this video is already too long to fit onto the back of a cocktail napkin. Gary Yourofsky did this "tough guy" act for years, describing himself as a revolutionary, and comparing himself to historical figures who fought in REAL revolutions… but he simply found it too emotionally damaging to answer emails from "pacifist" vegans, so he quit. What's the tough-guy rhetoric worth now? What kind of "revolutionary" quits because he can't cope with the "humanist" and "hippie" tendencies that Yourofsky blames for his early retirement? Apparently, it's the same kind who spend his whole career endorsing violence (and complaining that the A.L.F. is "not violent enough"). :-/



*LINKS.* Here's the specific video I mentioned, "Don't debate the details": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05V_v2Qd8G0



Here's a list of all of my videos with "Yourofsky" in the title:

https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/search?query=yourofsky



If you look at the thumbnail image carefully, BTW… that's not Gary. ;-) That's actually Jae Costly, mirroring me.

Refugee policy should provide refuge (not assimilation).

11 April 2017 [YT link]

Note: the thesis of this video isn't stated until (shortly after) the 11 minute mark, and, thus, while the point of the video is suggested by the title, you won't know the direction I'm taking here (at all) if you just listen to the first few minutes and then quit. :-/

Vegan vs. Vegan: the online debating club fad (vs. "Ask Yourself").

11 April 2017 [YT link]

Two of my earlier videos are mentioned, and here are the links:

(1) Veganism: Motivational Methods for Vegan Advocacy, by Casey T. Taft, Book Review. https://youtu.be/c59ckXsUcgI

(2) Veganism: Don't Debate the Details. (Vegan Artichoke Response) https://youtu.be/05V_v2Qd8G0

Maybe try prison activism? (A Snippet from the Cutting Room Floor.)

10 April 2017 [YT link]

Morty! Stop messing with the lighting! This was followed by "Take 2", running 22 minutes long (and uploading now).

Solutions: Vegan activism in my life and yours, right now. [Ep. 007]

10 April 2017 [YT link]

ADVICE NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR [Ep. 007]

Comedy & Activism: Keep Love in the Game.

09 April 2017 [YT link]

Veganism can be bleak, and vegans can feel hopeless in facing the enormity of the task ahead of us, but that same sense of "doing the impossible" brings a lot of vivacity (and humor) to the movement.

Shout out to "Juice" (that's his name!) quoted in the video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU4o-HR74og31-wAa_m-PJw/videos

And Repzilla gets a shout-out, starting @13:51, you can find his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXgGxoK-fsv1ScBHE7lYi_Q/videos

(The music playing in the the final few seconds of the video, also, is Juice's creation.)

Veganism: "Getting Attention" vs. the Mechanics of the Movement.

06 April 2017 [YT link]

Pamphlets: are there any new ideas in vegan activism?

06 April 2017 [YT link]

The article alluded to (repeatedly) in the video is by Nathan Harrison: https://medium.com/@harrisonnathan/the-actual-number-is-almost-surely-higher-92c908f36517

If you'd like to know more about "the wildlife management approach" (mentioned very briefly, in contrast to abolitionism), click here for a playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZEkgohG7k7qrHC5-UQDpMKvEmQjPiTTv

Ex-vegans & pedophiles: don't make excuses for people who make excuses.

01 April 2017 [YT link]

"Roll in the mud, come up dirty; hang out with nihilists… you might come out a bit… nihilistic." It's not surprising that this turn-of-phrase originates with me, but I just did a rapid internet-search… am I actually the first person to coin the phrase, "Don't make excuses for people who make excuses"? Them's words to live by. ;-)

Joe Vegan: A Stupid, Self-Pitying, Dishonest Ex-Vegan

01 April 2017 [YT link]

…and his fundraising failure (for a so-called "animal sanctuary" and "utopian" permaculture farm).

Want to comment, ask questions and chat with other viewers? Join the channel's Discord server (a discussion forum, better than a youtube comment section). Click here: https://discord.gg/ZX3pbC

Support the creation of new content on the channel (and speak to me, directly, if you want to) via Patreon, for $1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_bas_le_ciel/?hl=en

You may not know that I have several youtube channels, one of them is AR&IO (Active Research & Informed Opinion) found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP3fLeOekX2yBegj9-XwDhA/videos

Another is à-bas-le-ciel, found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/HeiJinZhengZhi/videos

And there is, in fact, a youtube channel that has my own legal name, Eisel Mazard: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuxp5G-XFGcH4lmgejZddqA

"you're either vegan or you're not" (Supreme Banana & Political Science)

30 March 2017 [YT link]

Debating the "I Don't Care" Mentality (Vegan Gains vs. Bearing)

30 March 2017 [YT link]

Joe Vegan's Fake Fantasy-Farm: I saw it six months ago.

29 March 2017 [YT link]

I made a 20-minute video titled, "The $600 Sanctuary Delusion" fully six months ago, and I'd still encourage you to watch it now (now, more than ever!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLqPmh05WWU

Losing faith in Durianrider & launching a new (Vegan) dating app.

27 March 2017 [YT link]

Sam is launching a new (vegan-only) dating application called "Sprout", you can check that out, here: http://www.gosprout.io/

Vegan life in small-town China & small-town Canada (a conversation)

27 March 2017 [YT link]

Why (Left-Wing) Feminists Hate Vegans / Veganism

26 March 2017 [YT link]

Co-starring the concepts of intersectionalism and anti-racist activism. For a sincere example from the opposite perspective (i.e., demonstrating that many feminists really do feel this way about vegans: I'm not arguing against an imaginary position here) take a look at this article from a Canadian university publication: http://theargus.ca/ac/2017/the-problems-with-veganism/

V is for Vegan, B IS FOR BIMBO.

24 March 2017 [YT link]

"Effective Altruism" is Rubbish, Innit? (Veganism / Ecology / Animal Rights)

24 March 2017 [YT link]

If you care about the future of the vegan movement, read the essay, here's the link:

https://medium.com/@harrisonnathan/the-actual-number-is-almost-surely-higher-92c908f36517

Nathan Harrison, "the actual number is almost certainly higher", an essay in large part about A.C.E. (Animal Charity Evaluators) and the effective altruism / effective activism paradigm.

"Veganism doesn't work for everyone… only for SOME PEOPLE…"

24 March 2017 [YT link]

Yeah, you've heard it before: "veganism doesn't work for everyone" —sometimes a sincere exception, sometimes an insincere excuse. A solid 30% of this video is an anecdote about romance/dating/love-life… but I assure you, we do get back to the point, and the anecdote is (really!) integral to what I'm trying to say.

Rap vs. My Professors (being a white, intellectual hip-hop fan)

23 March 2017 [YT link]

Here's the link to the song named (as an example of what even my professors can so easily relate to / appreciate) in the last two minutes of the video, "Grits" by RZA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xU2VTFpXgI

Vegan Birth/Baby Story (how my daughter was born) [Vegan Parenting]

17 March 2017 [YT link]

Unnecessary Evil: Why Becca Bristow Won't "Go Vegan".

17 March 2017 [YT link]

You want the link to Becca Bristow's original video on this topic? Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orCnHZGy5JI

βιγκανισμός: Θα οργανωθούμε ποτέ να γίνουμε μια κοινότητα?

14 March 2017 [YT link]

"On Community", a vegan manifesto; Greek translation by John.

"Πρώτα από όλα, δεν είμαι βίγκαν για να είμαι ή για να είμαι μέρος κάποιας κοινότητας." * * * Μέσα στα πρώτα πέντε δευτερόλεπτα, η "Unnatural Vegan" αναφέρει το άλλο θέμα για το οποίο μιλάω συχνά· την κοινότητα.

Στο παρελθόν έχω κάνει πολλά βίντεο στα οποία μιλάω για το τι σημαίνει το να πούμε πως οι βίγκαν είναι μια κοινότητα. Ήμασταν ποτέ κοινότητα; Θα οργανωθούμε ποτέ να γίνουμε μια κοινότητα;

Η "Unnatural Vegan" κάνει την εξής ενδιαφέρουσα δήλωση πως δεν το κάνει για να είναι μέρος μιας κοινότητας. Δεν είναι ο σκοπός της, δεν την νοιάζει.

Λοιπόν, έχω διαφορετική άποψη από εκείνη γι αυτό, και δεν είναι κριτική κατά της, είναι μια προσωπική διαφορά μεταξύ μας για την οποία νομίζω πως αξίζει να συζητήσω.

Είμαι πιο φιλόδοξος από αυτό. Είμαι πιο άπληστος από αυτό.

Ναι, θέλω μια πραγματική κοινότητα. Κοιτάξτε τις "Μητέρες Κατά της Οδήγησης υπό την Επήρεια Ποτού", έχουν τουλάχιστον ένα γραφείο σε κάθε Αμερικάνικη πολιτεία.

Υπάρχουν πενήντα πολιτείες στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες και έχουν πάνω από πενήντα γραφεία με προσωπικό που είναι ανοιχτά όλη την ώρα.

Εκείνοι το έχουν αυτό, εμείς όχι. Για πες μου, το 2016 ποιο μήνυμα είναι πιο σημαντικό, οι «Μητέρες Κατά της Οδήγησης υπό την Επήρεια Ποτού» ή ο βιγκανισμός... Είναι ο βιγκανισμός.

Ακόμα και αν στο παρελθόν, στην δεκαετία του 80, υπήρχε κάποιο επιχείρημα ότι οι «Μητέρες Κατά της Οδήγησης υπό την Επήρεια Ποτού» ήταν ένα πολύ σημαντικό λόμπι. Σήμερα, ο βιγκανισμός είναι ένα μήνυμα το οποίο οπωσδήποτε χρειάζεται πενήντα γραφεία στις Ηνωμένες πολιτείες.

Ξέρεις, έζησα σε μια εποχή στην οποία είδα τις ομάδες των γκέι να εξελίσσονται από περιθωριακές σε οργανώσεις με μεγάλη επιρροή.

Όταν ζούσα στο Τορόντο, υπήρχαν αρκετές οργανώσεις με κόσμο που δούλευε για τα δικαιώματα των γκέι,

Θυμάμαι πως υπήρχε μια οργάνωση η οποία είχε να κάνει αποκλειστικά με τις λεσβίες... διαφορετικές οργανώσεις για όλων των ειδών τις πολιτικές οπτικές γωνίες.

Και αν υπήρχε κάποια αμφισβήτηση, οι εφημερίδες πήγαιναν και έπαιρναν συνέντευξη από αυτές τις οργανώσεις, ξέρεις, ήταν μη κερδοσκοπικές πολιτικές οργανώσεις... όπως θες πες τες.

Οπότε, ας πούμε πως ο αρχηγός της αστυνομίας έκανε ένα ομοφοβικό σχόλιο. Οι εφημερίδες πήγαιναν και έπαιρναν συνέντευξη-- "Ας πάμε σε αυτή την ομάδα νομικής υπεράσπισης για τους γκέι και ας δούμε τι έχουν να πουν για αυτό". Κάτι τέτοιο.

Έτσι είναι μια πραγματική κοινότητα. Αυτή ήταν μια όψη της γκέι κοινότητας. Στο Τορόντο υπήρχε μια πραγματική γκέι κοινότητα εκείνη την εποχή.

Είχαν μια γειτονιά, είχαν κτίρια, είχαν γραφεία, είχαν δικηγόρους, είχαν κλαμπ, είχαν φεστιβάλ. Πολλές πόλεις δεν τα έχουν αυτά, αλλά το Τορόντο είχε πολλαπλές γκέι κοινότητες και οι εφημερίδες μπορούσαν να πάνε σε αυτές, εντάξει;

Θα ήταν διαφορετικό αν ήμασταν στο επίπεδο των «Μητέρων Κατά της Οδήγησης υπό την Επήρεια Ποτού», θα ήταν επίσης διαφορετικό αν ήμασταν στο επίπεδο των Εβραίων στην Βρετανική Κολομβία.

Οι Εβραίοι είναι μια μικροσκοπική μειονότητα σε αυτό το κομμάτι του Καναδά, αλλά έχουν κοινωνικές υποδομές, έχουν πραγματικές οργανώσεις, έχουν υποτροφίες και όλων των ειδών τα προνόμια από την γέννηση μέχρι τον θάνατο,

και όπως και να έχει, μπορείς να πας σε ένα από τα πικ-νικ τους και να μιλήσεις με άλλους από κοντά, και αυτό, από εράνους, μέχρι φιλανθρωπική εργασία και πολλά άλλα, μπορεί να κάνει μεγάλη διαφορά.

Τα θέλω όλα. Θέλω μια πραγματική κοινότητα και δεν βλέπω κάποιον λόγο να προσποιούμαι πως δεν το θέλω ή πως δεν θα είχε αξία για εμένα.

Δεν βλέπω τον λόγο να προσποιούμαι πως ο βιγκανισμός μου είναι ικανοποιητικός αν είναι μόνο μια διατροφή ή κάτι που κάνω στην ιδιωτική μου ζωή που δεν έχει καμία πολιτική συνέπεια.

Εξ αίματος είμαι Εβραίος, αλλά από θέμα πίστης είμαι Μηδενιστής Άθεος. Ωστόσο, θα με συνέφερε και εμένα και την οικογένεια μου να προσποιούμαι πως είμαι θρήσκος Εβραίος,

το να αρχίσω να πηγαίνω στον ναό, γιατί ο Ιουδαϊσμός εδώ στον Καναδά μπορεί να μου παρέχει μια πραγματική κοινότητα.

Τα πάντα, από τα πικ-νικ και τα σχολεία μέχρι και τα γηροκομεία, εντάξει;

Από την γέννηση μέχρι τον θάνατο, τα προνόμια μιας κοινότητας σου τα παρέχει ο Ιουδαϊσμός, σου τα παρέχει ο Μορμονισμός, σου τα παρέχουν όλων των ειδών τρελές ιδεολογίες που στηρίζονται στο να πιστεύεις σε έναν Θεό που δεν υπάρχει,

που στηρίζονται στο να κάνεις προσευχές που δεν θα ακουστούν από κανέναν, εκτός αν τις κάνεις στο "YouTube", τότε μπορεί να σε ακούσει το κοινό σου.

Time & money, why I'm doing less and less on Youtube.

10 March 2017 [YT link]

The alluded-to Patreon ($1 per month): https://www.patreon.com/a_bas_le_ciel/

This is part of a series of videos with Tofu Goddess, find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/234leanna/videos

ESL: Teaching English in Asia (esp. Yunnan, China & Thailand, Laos, Cambodia)

09 March 2017 [YT link]

Some practical advice (and reflections) on teaching English in Asia, with reference to both university-level classrooms and children (the whole range of ages, basically).

Why I Don't Have a Future.

06 March 2017 [YT link]

The unexpected sequel to "WHY I DON'T HAVE A PhD".

This is not a death-threat: Vegan Cheetah's lawsuit.

06 March 2017 [YT link]

The link to the lawsuit's fundraiser (describing the whole situation at some length): https://www.gofundme.com/protectyoutube

Animals that CANNOT survive in the wild: doomed to extinction & museum exhibits?

06 March 2017 [YT link]

[Low-Res. version] This is not a death-threat: Vegan Cheetah's lawsuit.

05 March 2017 [YT link]

The link to the lawsuit fundraiser = https://www.gofundme.com/protectyoutube

THIS IS A LOW-QUALITY VERSION OF THE VIDEO, BECAUSE UPLOAD SPEEDS ARE SO SLOW HERE IN CHINA. The higher quality version of the video is now online (I think it took about 12 hours to upload).