Archive for January, 2008
I’ve had a really hard time with this project, especially in the winter time. When things get so cold and wet and dark, I have a really hard time getting outside. I used to feel guilty over this, but I don’t feel that way anymore. It feels more like longing for something I can’t have. I don’t really know or have routines down for spending time outdoors during the winter. I know natives here gathered wapato even in the cold winter months, but I don’t have the heart to try that yet. Instead I have focused more on the cultural aspects of rewilding. I have spent a lot of time writing and putting on events like the Derrick Jensen talk and the Nuclear Winter Formal.
The grand prize of the Urban Scout Madlib Contest™ goes too…Snowraven! The classic lines, “Literally fashion underpants and nipple parties to benefit your poodle? In the dungeon of rewilding? And under a ‘enema’ section? I don’t get B12. I really don’t. And I don’t want to,” Won me over. As well as your, “excessively, Douche Train.” I can’t help but hear those words ring to the music of Cat Stevens, Peace Train; “Glide on the douche train…” Though I have my doubts that nipple wasn’t intentionally placed there, I gave you all the benefit of the doubt.
I had an extremely difficult time choosing, so I have decided to give EVERYONE who entered a signed photograph of yours truly! Of course, first place still receives a framed 5X8 while everyone else will receive an unframed 4X6.
Thanks everyone for playing!
Scout
Who: 18-adult
When: Sat, 10am-2pm
Jan 26, 2008
Where: Portland, OR
FEE: FREE
Register: Contact Us to RSVP
Residential Immersion Taster
If you are interested in living these skills in a supportive team and community then join for a “Taster Day” of hands on activities and experience. Check out the TrackersNW page for more info.
Rewilding…sounds great, but I don’t know where, when, or how to start. I created my life goals and direction before I realized where civilization is going and fully developed my hate of it. I’m a college sophomore on track for grad school and then working in early intervention… But now I question this path and envy, more than ever, those born before the spread of western civilization. I would know what to do with my life if I wanted to stick to a civilization-appropriate path… Get married, work in a school district as either a speech pathologist or as a pre-school teacher in early intervention (depending on where my interests in college lead me), have children, and raise them as United States (or possibly Canadian) citizens who go to college and get a job… Now that I’ve changed my views, this isn’t the path I want. I want to break free from civilization. I lived in a rural area until I was 8, but I’m mostly a Salemite who knows next to nothing about surviving in the wild. I want to be serious about doing something different and meaningful with my life. At this point, I don’t know enough to be able to do that. It seems like people are more likely to think “this suck but I don’t know what to do so I’ll just go back to my domesticated little life,” than they are to see the problem and take action. Right now I feel like that first group, but don’t want to be a part of it; I want to take action. Do you have any advice for me?
I love my friend Jason Godesky. I mean, in a platonic way, of course (no worries Penny Scout!). For me, Ishmael felt like enough to change my mind. I didn’t really need to read anthropological text and work through the civilized bullshit. Though, when it comes time to challenge the civilized I often feel at a loss… “Where did you hear those facts?!?” They want to know. For me, the philosophy of rewilding just makes sense from my own observations about the world and civilization. I don’t need to memorize the hard archeological data to presume that life before civilization felt better and didn’t destroy the planet. A simple course on agriculture and human prehistory did the trick. But when civilizations mythmaking assholes twist the facts to make me look like a dipshit, I never know what to say… But Jason does. And that reveals why I love him so much. Recently civilized assholes went to work in the classic civilized asshole filled rag called “The Economist” to make people like Jason and I into fuck-tards. Jason has spent years debunking the false mythology in the current article and so cut together a rebuttal that hopefully feels like a kick in the nuts to anyone who bought into “The Economists” bullshit.
You heard right folks, the next installment of Urban Scout’s anti-vegan brigade! Inspiration for the following tirade came from, once again, the Willamette Week in which they interviewed an animal rights activist in the “hot seat.”
One day my friend Tony and I decided to see if we could make a bow-drill from scratch at a local park we traveled to often. We played around in the log jam for a few minutes and gathered up all the pieces we needed. All but cordage, which would involve more labor. I knew where a small patch of nettle grew and we decided to venture over to the patch, since nettle bark makes great cordage. However, just at the end of the log jam I saw an unfamiliar weed growing up through the rotten limbs.
Remember “Madlibs?” I sure do. Most of the insulting letters I receive bring me back to my childhood with their goofy middle school high-jinks. As a theraputic way of dealing with these letters I have decided to turn them into Madlibs for your enjoyment. Please fill it out and post your version in the comment section below. After two weeks I will close the challenge and announce a winner who will receive a signed and framed photograph of your favorite celebrity anarchist… ME!
For everyone who’s actually read DQ’s books or have been exposed to such concepts or views on modern society … how many of them are actually living it out? And to the extent that you do? … pretty fucking cool, I must say - how you live your life. But I have to ask you - can we really bring such radical change? (in terms of an alternative way of living from our current agricultural “taker” lifestyles)?? or is it just the way things are meant to be and eventually future generations will just be fucked and that’s just the way it goes?Thanks,
www.speakzine.com
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