[That title is from Dmitri Orlov, who blogs and speaks about Peak Oil and eventual doom of all things Totalitarian. Go read "Real Communities are Self-Organizing" and then come back here. My Facebook buddies know I've ranted about this subject already...I just needed to do it AGAIN for the non-FB crowd.]
The big news in my Southwestern Virginia homeland this week, last week, and since before Christmas has been the record amounts of snow we have received and are receiving and won’t stop until after Easter, most likely. My ancestral homeland is up yonder in Yankee-land-Midwest so this is surprising but not wholly unprecedented for our family. Another favorite blogger from upper New York state is jealous of our FEET accumulation.
I mention the snow as the backdrop to the utter insanity which is occurring at the World’s Largest Retailer or otherwise known as my husband’s workplace. Blue shirts and Smiley Face-ville. Ok, you get the drift. In our Totalitarian Consumerist society, it is normal to stock up on bread, milk, and probably beer before a snow storm. Maybe Bubba Americana will purchase a snow shovel, if there were any left and he issued forth a salient thought on the reason why he was stocking up on microwaveable chicken wings.
You want to know the other necessity which pathetic people with tax return money burning a hole in their pockets just absolutely must-have DURING a BLIZZARD?
A large flat-screen TV.
Not even purchasing these items before the storm, but as the streets fill with dangerous ice and feet of snow?
Yes, you might interject, the Super Bowl is this weekend. My friends, these [gritting teeth whilst typing] neighbors have spreed their way through the Electronics department before the snow hit last week…and before other non-holiday or non-major broadcasting weekends.
I am angry with my [aaarrghhh...*wailing and nashing teeth *] neighbors for making it necessary for MY husband to risk life, limb, and automobile in order for THEM to purchase a complete NON-NECESSITY to the survival of 48 hours.
There you have it folks, the report of one small symptom of our Totalitarian Consumerist state. I have to go spend time with my prayer rope now to get the rest of the angst worked out…
