Mark Maynard - suffering from consumption

05/05/08

09:14:18 pm, by mark - Observations, Other

suffering from consumption

I’m just reading through all the comments that were left while I was in Milwaukee. I particularly liked this one by Ol’ East Cross.

Americans and/or humans, continue to prove that they’d rather feed their kids shit and buy them cell-phones than plant a garden.

I watched Bush give a press conference a few days ago where his answer to the oil crisis was, “Should’ve drilled in Alaska, I told you so…” That will begin to make sense to more and more. We’ll suck Alaska dry.

And, when we finally run dry of oil, big deal. The market will react. You’ll see a crop of nuclear and coal plants to power our new miracle, sprawl sustaining, battery wasting, power supply and we’ll drive our electric SUVs to kingdom come. Until the underlying morality of consumption vs. waste is addressed, we’ll find a way to consume and waste.

I just don’t think availability of oil is the core issue. Lots of folks are concerned with the price of gas, but many/most just care about how prices reduce their capacity to otherwise consume. We can and will replace oil, but if we’re not better, the replacement won’t be, either…

For the record, when I die, I’d like for this site to be left to Ol’ E Cross. I’m fond of a lot of you who comment on this site, but I feel like Ol’ E Cross and I are kindred spirits when it comes to the things that really matter - loving Ypsi and despising mankind. Anyway, I’d like for one of you, upon my passing, to hang this site around his neck, pat him on the head, and wish him luck.

[This post was brought to you by the 200 esteemed economists who agree that the McCain/Clinton “Gas Tax Holiday” is a pathetic campaign gimmick.]

25 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: John on Forest [Visitor]

· http://home.comcast.net/~marraeshuler

OEC writes with inspiration and clarity. I always enjoy reading him. I wouldn't blame him for constipation though.

Permalink 05/05/08 @ 21:24

Comment from: egpenet [Visitor]

In case I'm not here at that time ... R.I.P. MM.! ... Long live OEC!

Permalink 05/05/08 @ 21:46

Comment from: mark [Member]

And I don't really think that OEC despises mankind. I know I don't. I'm pessimistic, but it doesn't begin to approach hatred, at least in a general, sweeping sense. I'd like to think there's still a chance that we might be able to get out collective shit together. If there wasn't a chance, I doubt I'd be working on this site every night.

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 07:56

Comment from: Paw [Visitor]

Clean
Edible
Coal

It's the future!

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 10:49

Comment from: KP [Visitor]

OEC is a good egg.

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 11:02

Comment from: Danny [Visitor]

I like OEC. He strikes me as a honorable man. I'd like to ask for you to reconsider though. With the wonderful things that Castro's brother has been doing in Cuba, I think you should at least consider him. And I know that Kwame Kilpatrick is somewhat controversial at the moment, but I think that he'd bring a little "sizzle" to the office.

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 12:22

Comment from: Damon/sccs [Visitor]

Reminds me of a quote I had read and can't quite place where... but.

-Unless mankind accepts a greater mentality, they shall continue to be a blithe upon the Earth.-

May the chains of consumption rest lightly upon the future generations shoulders. I for one, pray for it.

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 12:38

Comment from: UBU [Member]

· http://spaces.msn.com/radiofreeubu/

I think it goes -- a blithe spirit upon the earth...

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 12:52

Comment from: Damon/sccs [Visitor]

Fair enough. UBU would you happen to know where this is from?

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 13:20

Comment from: Brackache [Visitor]

Nothing wrong with reducing consumption and waste, and/or starting your own gardens, that's for sure. But may I ask: those of us here who like/do those things -- do we like/do them because of legislation and the threat of punishment? Or do we like/do those things because we are free to voluntarily do them?

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 15:00

Comment from: Robert [Visitor]

We have to wait for you to die?

Shouldn't there be some sort of term limit on this? Democracy is on the march and you might want to consider stepping out of it's way. If you had to worry about re-election, I'm sure we wouldn't be forced to read about severed unicorn heads and ball shaving every other day.

Oh, and I met Ol'E Cross, and he's a horrible choice for successor. Can't you tell he's talking down to us? The guy is an elitist. He's some sort of insane genius, and that's dangerous. I would feel much more comfortable with a "regular guy" type at the helm...someone more of us can identify with, someone plain-spoken.

Who even understands half the shit OEC posts on this blog? And do you realize he's dumbing it all down for us as much as he can stand. I've overheard conversations between Mark and OEC when they thought nobody else was listening, and they spoke in this strange ultra-sophisticated alien-sounding language. It was English of course, but what I mean is that they used all kinds of huge words and proper sentence structure, and were communicating ideas that I couldn't follow, so I can only assume there is some sort of black magic involved.

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 15:46

Comment from: UBU [Member]

· http://spaces.msn.com/radiofreeubu/

naw, Damon brother, I was just pulling your leg -- I think the word you meant was blight. Blithe means joyous, merry or gay -- which might explain why Noel Coward used it in the title of his play and movie Blithe Spirit...

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 16:12

Comment from: Ol' E Cross [Visitor]

Mark: I've been sucking up to you all this time and all that's in the will for me is this blog and it's 12 cents a month in Amazon royalties? Who's heir to the severed unicorn head empire? At least throw in your ballshaver.

Danny: I like it. And, I'll go on record as willing to trade either Kilpatrick or Castro the role OEC for either Mayor of Detroit or El Presidente. If either aren't happy with the deal after one year, they can just try to get me out.

Damon/sccs: I think I said that. You might have read it at "thequotableOEC.com."

Brackache: Yes.

Robert: I think you overheard Mark and I telling each other dirty penis jokes in pig latin. When you have young daughters, you adopt the habit of speaking of dirty penises in pig latin. Only an elitist, would find the second language of most hard working Americans "strange" and "alien-sounding."

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 20:02

Comment from: Thoreau [Visitor]

http://www.the-backup.com/buy/commercial.php

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 20:04

Comment from: mark [Member]

OK, my phone's been ringing off the hook since I posted this. Maybe I was too rash. Maybe I should have given Kwame, Ed Penet, Steve Pierce, Castro's brother, the fellow that used to wonder around town with no face, our old friend Tony Buttons, and any number of other people a shot. I went with my heart though. Sometimes you've just got to do that. If OEC wants an open, fair and honest competition for the mantle of MM.com CEO, though, that's a different matter. If he wants, we'll give everyone a shot to guest blog for one week and then we'll put it to a vote. It's up to OEC.

And, Thoreau, that's definitely going on the front page tonight. Thanks.

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 21:04

Comment from: mark [Member]

And my golden ball shaver is already pledged to the Smithsonian.

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 21:05

Comment from: Brackache [Visitor]

What the fuck ever happened to Faceless Joe, anyways? I haven't seen him since I moved to the other side of the tracks (to the East side). He used to walk past my house everyday. I could make some horrible joke about what they could hang up of his in Cafe Luwak, but now I feel really bad. He probably had a mother you know, you cruel monsters.

But to be a dick though, how's this fit into the "everything is the fault of uncontrolled (by us) mankind" theory?

Permalink 05/06/08 @ 22:13

Comment from: Robert [Visitor]

Mark:
Your successor should really be a woman or a black guy. It's time. It's so typical that you just happened to choose OEC, and he just so happens to be another middle-aged white guy like yourself.

Ol' E Cross:
I didn't mean to insult your culture, so i'm sorry if you took it that way. But I do want to say that you Pig Latin speakers should go back to your own country (Piglatia?) and stop taking jobs from people who speak real Latin.

Permalink 05/07/08 @ 12:55

Comment from: damon/sccs [Visitor]

I could not find the quote online again, but it turns out Blithe has two quite different meanings. Hence, why it was used in the original quote. Thanks for the responses though all.

Cheers.

Adj. 1. blithe - lacking or showing a lack of due concern; "spoke with blithe ignorance of the true situation"
unconcerned - lacking in interest or care or feeling; "the average American...is unconcerned that his or her plight is the result of a complex of personal and economic and governmental actions...beyond the normal citizen's comprehension and control"; "blithely unconcerned about his friend's plight"
2. blithe - carefree and happy and lighthearted; "was loved for her blithe spirit"; "a merry blithesome nature"; "her lighthearted nature"; "trilling songs with a lightsome heart"

Permalink 05/07/08 @ 15:35

Comment from: Brackache [Visitor]

OEC doesn't quite strike me as blithesome. How many meanings of toothsome are there?

Permalink 05/07/08 @ 15:48

Comment from: UBU [Member]

· http://spaces.msn.com/radiofreeubu/

I still think blight is the word you want -- it's a noun for one thing as in a blight...blithe in any meaning past or present is an adjective and can only be used to qualify a noun as in a blithe spirit... the phrase a blithe upon the land is meaningless...your fact checkin bro

Permalink 05/07/08 @ 19:14

Comment from: Robert [Visitor]

It's like hanging around with my family during the holidays. Are we going to start a game of Jeopardy next?

Permalink 05/08/08 @ 16:15

Comment from: Paw [Visitor]

OK, I'll go first.

The answer is "Robert".

Permalink 05/09/08 @ 10:34

Comment from: Scuttles [Visitor]

Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?

Permalink 05/09/08 @ 13:20

Comment from: Robert [Visitor]

Right On! (rodd-own)

Permalink 05/10/08 @ 09:26

05/05/08

suffering from consumption

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