May 1, 2002
3:04 PM Subscribe
The Green Monster and Materialism. Do you worry that we live in a materialistic society? Do you share my concern that the extreme search for convenience, ultra-targeted products and our throw-away culture have thrust us in an illusion of pseudo-happiness that is essentially emptiness? Perhaps, the experiences described in this article will help you think about this. (Let the rare lightning from the Seattle clouds strike me! I have sinned- for I have plugged an article that was typed by these shameful hands. Yet, my desire to expose you to this creative piece is greater than my shame at self-promotion. I hope you will understand. Forgive, ye great soul and read on.)
This post was deleted for the following reason:
Uh-huh. I hope people are going to be kind, syzygy.
posted by SandeepKrishnamurthy at 3:10 PM on May 1, 2002
posted by SandeepKrishnamurthy at 3:10 PM on May 1, 2002
OK. Ok. Mea culpa.
posted by SandeepKrishnamurthy at 3:10 PM on May 1, 2002
posted by SandeepKrishnamurthy at 3:10 PM on May 1, 2002
desire to share?
no excuse. if it was really worth reading, someone ELSE would have posted.
posted by jcterminal at 3:18 PM on May 1, 2002
no excuse. if it was really worth reading, someone ELSE would have posted.
posted by jcterminal at 3:18 PM on May 1, 2002
Well, because this is bound for the great bit bucket in the sky, allow me to recast it in a uniquely Metafilterian way:
Do you share my concern that the extreme search for ways to make pancake references and our throw-away culture have thrust us in an illusion of pseudo-humor that is essentially unfunny?
posted by darukaru at 3:18 PM on May 1, 2002
Do you share my concern that the extreme search for ways to make pancake references and our throw-away culture have thrust us in an illusion of pseudo-humor that is essentially unfunny?
posted by darukaru at 3:18 PM on May 1, 2002
"where is the mefi rule police ?"
the jackals? sleeping. this is more of a 'matt hits a button' sort of thing.
posted by jcterminal at 3:19 PM on May 1, 2002
the jackals? sleeping. this is more of a 'matt hits a button' sort of thing.
posted by jcterminal at 3:19 PM on May 1, 2002
Yeah, it has only been 15 minutes. My shock and dismay is aimed at the poster, not Matt....
posted by gohlkus at 3:25 PM on May 1, 2002
posted by gohlkus at 3:25 PM on May 1, 2002
Huh, Fenway Park and Materialism? I don't get it.
As for the article- looking back a couple hours, I think this argument falls victim to False Dilemma. The choice isn't an expensive bike every year or a one-time bike purchase. You could go to your local play-it-again-sports, bike shop, garage sale, craigslist.com or salvation army and get a used one. Then you can sell it for a good chunk of it's used value a year later and get another used one. Over the lifetime it's going to be similar in cost to a nice new bike right? In fact you might be able to work the numbers so that you take the cost of a new bike, invest it, and use the dividends to buy the used bikes. Then by the time the kid is going off to college at 18, they could afford a shiny new bike for getting around campus plus a couple bucks for pizza :)
posted by stormy at 3:28 PM on May 1, 2002
As for the article- looking back a couple hours, I think this argument falls victim to False Dilemma. The choice isn't an expensive bike every year or a one-time bike purchase. You could go to your local play-it-again-sports, bike shop, garage sale, craigslist.com or salvation army and get a used one. Then you can sell it for a good chunk of it's used value a year later and get another used one. Over the lifetime it's going to be similar in cost to a nice new bike right? In fact you might be able to work the numbers so that you take the cost of a new bike, invest it, and use the dividends to buy the used bikes. Then by the time the kid is going off to college at 18, they could afford a shiny new bike for getting around campus plus a couple bucks for pizza :)
posted by stormy at 3:28 PM on May 1, 2002
the article is trite. It doesn't speak to any larger issues of consumerism, oddly -- just the _consumer_ issues. I'm anticonsumeralist and I think it is trite. the posting method is irritating. The post text is trite. Irritating and trite. I usually hold back opinions such as this out of a sense of politeness, but I felt like I HAD TO POST IT HERE FOR EVERYONE TO READ FOR NO GOOD REASON JUST BECAUSE I FELT SO DAMN PROUD.
posted by n9 at 3:32 PM on May 1, 2002
posted by n9 at 3:32 PM on May 1, 2002
thanks, n9.... I will spare myself the disappointment of reading it.
posted by gohlkus at 3:34 PM on May 1, 2002
posted by gohlkus at 3:34 PM on May 1, 2002
Yet, my desire to expose you to this creative piece is greater than my shame at self-promotion.
My desire to expose you to my buttocks is greater than my shame at self-promotion.
someone had to say it.
posted by adampsyche at 3:34 PM on May 1, 2002
My desire to expose you to my buttocks is greater than my shame at self-promotion.
someone had to say it.
posted by adampsyche at 3:34 PM on May 1, 2002
at the very least i would have emailed matt before posting this self link. chances are he would have said no go.........come on you knew that
posted by m@L at 3:44 PM on May 1, 2002
posted by m@L at 3:44 PM on May 1, 2002
As for the article itself, what's the big deal about materialism? Live for the moment, baby, cuz tomorrow you may be dead. If not, then you have one more day to pay for what you bought yesterday. If you are dead, it doesn't matter.
posted by mischief at 3:57 PM on May 1, 2002
posted by mischief at 3:57 PM on May 1, 2002
A.) "The Green monster" or "The green monster" might be ok, but "The Green Monster" is a wall with a net on top of it and a Citgo sign behind it. There are no others.
B.) "Frugality as a chosen way of life is essentially non-existent today. The poor have clearly not chosen to be so and would prefer to not continue to be so." If you're defining frugality as choosing not to enjoy discretionary income, I'd suggest people were never "frugal."
C.) How does this argument go over in your e-commerce classes? "So that's this week's homework, and I'd just like to mention you're all shiftless bastards."
posted by yerfatma at 3:58 PM on May 1, 2002
B.) "Frugality as a chosen way of life is essentially non-existent today. The poor have clearly not chosen to be so and would prefer to not continue to be so." If you're defining frugality as choosing not to enjoy discretionary income, I'd suggest people were never "frugal."
C.) How does this argument go over in your e-commerce classes? "So that's this week's homework, and I'd just like to mention you're all shiftless bastards."
posted by yerfatma at 3:58 PM on May 1, 2002
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posted by syzygy at 3:07 PM on May 1, 2002