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Samizacat
USA
4 Posts |
 Posted - 09/06/2007 : 11:15:46
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I've read most of the criterea I could find on Freeganism, but I have a question. Can I call myself a Freegan if I am not vegan? I fit all other criterea! thanks for your thoughts.--- Samizacat
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mymarkx
USA
3 Posts |
 Posted - 09/06/2007 : 13:12:15
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Hi Samizacat--
I'm not a freegan myself. I guess I have been at times in my life, but without consciously understanding the philosophy. When I was young and homeless, I had a thing against money. Since I wouldn't touch money, I couldn't buy anything, so anything I had was found or given to me. But as I understand it, you can be a freegan without being vegan.
I guess I'm a political freegan, in the sense that I agree totally with the philosophy, but these days I do buy things--mostly books and food. The important thing, at least as I see it, is not to contribute to the big machine if you can help it. By withdrawing from the system as much as possible, you don't encourage the corporate maniacs destroying the planet and everything on it for profit. Freegans, Food Not Bombs, Food Not Lawns, permaculture people, anti-civilizationists, environmental and animal rights activists, etc., are probably the only sane people in the world. People who don't care what the true price is in planetary pollution, species extinction, human and animal exploitation, or even their own health, as long as they can drive a car and have a big screen TV, are really cutting their own throats, so I wouldn't call them sane.
New forums are always fun. I usually get banned after a while, for one reason or another, often for my outspoken opposition to patriarchal values a/k/a fascism. In this case, since I'm not actually a freegan, they'd be totally justified in banning me. But until that happens, this seems like a good place to hang out.  |
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Samizacat
USA
4 Posts |
 Posted - 09/07/2007 : 10:39:56
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Hey hey hey! Look at me! I think I learned how to make my text green! TRuthfully, I am having a little trouble navigating this site. Maybe its me.
Mark, you ideas are astounding. I would have trouble keeping up with all of them, as I HAVE to be a consumer sometimes. I have four kids. I was born in '61, by the way. The tail end of the Baby Boomers.
Recent activites in Dumpster Diving and General Cheap-ness:
Went dumpster diving at the kids school two days before the start opf school. Everyone was cleaning out thier rooms, and lots of things got thrown away. I saw one of those tiny kidney shaped tables they use in kindergarten, it needed the top laminate glued back on. I didnt take it as I dont need it. My son, the ultra dumpster diver-- jumped right into the dumpster. We pulled out four golf lubs. They had scratches, or the tape was fraying on the handles. Not good enough for the Golf Team anymore. We brought them home,now my kids use tem to shoot crab apples out into the corn field. ITS FUN!!!!!!
I'm trying to organize a "Swap-O-Rama-Rama" in our comunity for sprng. Goodle SWap-O-Rama-Rama. Basically, its a clothing swap. Bring as much as you can, pay a small fee on the day of the event,and then its SHOPPING TIME!!!!!!!!! The fee is ONLY to cover the expense of renting your place to hold the event at. Everything you find is free. I have to fine tune the idea, to discourage hoarders, make changing areas, etc. But thats in the plans.
I harvested veggies from neighbors gardens after they were done canning what they needed/wanted. I've got strawberry jam canned, Green beans GALORE, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, salsa, corn.... my own garden was hit terribly by grasshoopers this summer. It ruined it. I grew 12 tomatoes. TWELVE. it disquests me.
I found a "Scratch and dent" store locally. Just opened! They recieve things the grocery store cant sell due to dents or packeging problems. A big box of Frosted Flakes cost $1.05. YUP! I CAN DO THAT ALRIGHT!
DId alot of back to school shopping at second hand stores, garage sales.
Avoided WAl Mart like the plague.
Of course I have planted a tree this year, thats a given.
So, theres my recnet list of activites. More to come. I hope to read other peoples ideas on this as well. --samizacat |
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mymarkx
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2007 : 16:57:43
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WOW, Samizacat! Just, WOW!
Sorry about the grasshoppers. Check this out:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2160.html
I've never had fried grasshoppers, I rather doubt that they're any sort of substitute for the tomato plants they ate, and I'm not suggesting you eat them, but there are scientists who have proven experimentally that plants and animals are sensitive to human thoughts and emotions, so I don't see why insects shouldn't be. Next time they show up, try going out and saying (very loudly) "Oh, yummy! Look at all those delicious grasshoppers!" and maybe they'll go away and leave your tomatoes in peace. It might not work, but it couldn't hurt to try. 
Your activities are probably making all the city freegans as envious as I am. Think globally, eat locally! |
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atchitamon
1 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2007 : 20:33:40
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i think that plants and animals are sensitive to human thoughts and emotions, or to something more basic, and more real than either of these. maybe something we humans have lost sight of.
we seem to live in a world of thoughts and emotions, usually someplace just in the past, rather than in the moment. do we ever perceive being-ness at all?
relfective conciousness reflects conciousness, on and on, endless mirrors.
animals and plants, still in touch with their existential being, are much more aware of things.
i offered to help out any crow that needed help, and 2 weeks later, had one show up. stayed 9 mo.s, his wing healed up completely, he learned to say "hello" quite perfectly.
then flew away.
now, a year later, the sunroom where he lived is occupied by a young raccoon, who showed up a couple months ago and has progressed quickly to the point where he now eats from my fingers, climbs onto my shoulder,etc.
did the crow leave a sign that said, "vacancy","animal helpers inside", or what?
it does seem to me that there must be a connection.
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Samizacat
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2007 : 16:30:04
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About the grasshoppers. In high school, many many moons ago, I was in a Political Behavior class. The teacher had traveled to Africa over the summer. Brought a can with fried grasshoppers in it. He said you would get 20 extra credit points if you ate one. Now I liked school, but it was kinda hard. I could use those extra points.... so I ate one. It "tasted" fried, heavily salted, and crunchy. No real taste left after frying it I guess. What do I care, I got my 20 points.
Last evening, I happened to be driving down a street on my way home. Up the street I saw something sitting on the curb. As I got closer, I saw it was a chair. I stopped the car, my oldest daughter hie on the floor, screeching "MOTHER! ITS STILL DAYLIGHT! " The chair was an oak, YES OAK, not laminate, oak glider rocker. The cushions were FINE. no rips, not dirty or worn, not covered in cat hair or anything gross. THey are cream with hunter green plaid, with tiny little marron flowers. It appears someone just got tired of the "hunter green" fashion trend! I dunno! But the glider was FINE. so I picked it up and loaded in the van. Stopped at one friends house, no they didnt need a glider, but WOW its nice! I brought it home, I dont need it. My eldest helped me carry it in the house saying "Whats this? who's this for" I gave it to her. A real nice piece of furniture, FOR FREE.
ATCHITAMON: The crow and the racoon...how cool! I agree that animals have an awareness that humans have lost sight of. Some things just cant be explained unless you beleive this! I love my doggies! |
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redbucket
2 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 10:16:07
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Any here from the subs of philly? been eatin from trash since 1985-
ahh... free food. with 40% food tossed out that makes tons literally of food for the taking. enjoy |
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Shyaporn
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2007 : 14:26:41
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I think that the waste of food resources in this country and vegans vs. omnivores are two separate debates. Certainly, even the name "Freegan" implies a certain connection to veganism, but I look at that more as poetic punning rather than a political mandate.
I love vegan food and my favorite restaurant in the city is vegan, but I'm a steadfast omnivore and that's just never going to change. At the same time I'm a big proponent of recovering wasted resources in an urban environment.
Urban foraging and eating meat are not mutually exclusive.
http://www.youtube.com/shyaporn |
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yarrah
7 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2007 : 17:12:48
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I totally agree with the last post. It has been linked with veganism probably because some people who don't want to harm animals but still eat meat do it and because vegans do it as a way of not hurting animals or plants indirectly. I think that it is a way to be like a modern version
of an old hunter. |
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Jinx
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2008 : 18:04:08
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You need to read "Ecotopia" by Callenbach. His 'reduce, reuse, recycle' society, cut off from the rest of the world by choice, wear old furs, and new furs from animals they hunted. They ate meat to supplement their vegetable sources of protein, and did not waste the animals or hunt merely for fun or to prove their skills. People only worked a 20 hour week, and lived simply but joyfully. It's very good.
I think the main point of Freeganism is to reuse, or indeed just use, items tossed 'away' by others. Why should we waste our rare resource (money) to purchase something we can get for free?
I believe that there are many levels of Freeganism. There are those who are complete Freegans. Some would call them homeless or bums. Then the divers who get their food, clothes, everything they can from nonpaid sources like dumpsters.
I have dived for everything except food. Although, as an impoverished child, I scrounged for food in various ways. Knowing which berries and fruits were edible, and who gave away food at the end of a workday, were two things that kept body and soul together when I was 10. As a broke college student, my whole world was scavenged, or purchased at deep discount. (Remember Clothestime? I bought over $300 worth of cool duds for about $50 on sale!)
Even working 4 jobs and financially ok, my friend and I would still alley surf in the night for awesome stuff to revamp!
A frugal lifestyle is never a bad thing. Read the Frugal Gazette by Amy Dascyzyn (sic). It has great ways to save up to and including Freeganism! |
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am I a Freegan?
