Can you explain why the hell I can't focus on reading entire books and become completely engrossed by shorter form pieces such as a newsletter like this. The Internet has ruined my ability to read long form text
Personally, I think the automobile has done more to fuck society into its currently splintered form than any other single invention. From the moment ned Jordan penned his "somewhere west of Laramie" ad that focused on the driver instead of the car, the odious myth of the rugged American individual has seeped from the silver screen into our every waking moment. Gone is the sidewalk with its screen porches, the morning walk to the streetcar where you would sit with your neighbors on the way to work, the corner grocery where you would walk to get your vegetables and meat for dinner.
Nope, now it's every single person in a two-ton monstrosity of expeditious convenience hurtling down an eight-lane that the city fathers built in 1960 as part of Ike's cold war Autobahn project. Whereas pedestrians are neighbors, other drivers are adversaries, and we take this mindset into all our late-stage capitalism activities. You or me, buddy, and it's going to be me.
How about all the suburbs gobbling up the farm and prairie so Bill can have a three-car garage? What about the highways and roads, billions of miles of high-maintenance blacktop that kills fauna, emits heat, and sluices rain like a gutter? On a recent drive from Iowa to California, I was appalled by the garbage that destroys every single vista in this gorgeous country. Even Nebraska looked the worse for all the shit dollar stores and "development" projects whose sole purpose is to extract money and channel it into the accounts of the same handful of shit heels who own 80% of everything.
So yeah. Automobiles are hideous for almost every reason, and the social toll is the worst. Vonnegut said that aliens would naturally assume we were their slaves instead of the contrary.
The Big Bad is Alfred Sloan, whose pet project was to destroy public transportation while shoving every ass into a GM car starting with Chevy and ending with a Cadillac coffin. He wanted to cover America with blacktop. Fucker would sure be pleased now.
I shared your Dune post on Facebook. I have a Substack too. Really hard getting anyone to read it, but I have a day job too. Keep on sluggin.
Oh shit we can comment!?!
i'm personally looking forward to more content on Read Max by Max Read for Max by Max Read in collaboration with Max Read for Max by Max Read
Top marcs
I enjoy all of your writing but I have to say I am primarily subscribed in case you release an expanded list of Halogencore movies
I’m hoping to write about movies a fair amount!
I want updates on whether or not Barack Obama is cool.
Can you explain why the hell I can't focus on reading entire books and become completely engrossed by shorter form pieces such as a newsletter like this. The Internet has ruined my ability to read long form text
Unfortunately if I explained this I would destroy my whole business model
I was expecting a guide to (pinches fingers) Amari
These days I'm drinking my weight in Alta Verde
Worth a couple Big Macs
Well done, Max.
Personally, I think the automobile has done more to fuck society into its currently splintered form than any other single invention. From the moment ned Jordan penned his "somewhere west of Laramie" ad that focused on the driver instead of the car, the odious myth of the rugged American individual has seeped from the silver screen into our every waking moment. Gone is the sidewalk with its screen porches, the morning walk to the streetcar where you would sit with your neighbors on the way to work, the corner grocery where you would walk to get your vegetables and meat for dinner.
Nope, now it's every single person in a two-ton monstrosity of expeditious convenience hurtling down an eight-lane that the city fathers built in 1960 as part of Ike's cold war Autobahn project. Whereas pedestrians are neighbors, other drivers are adversaries, and we take this mindset into all our late-stage capitalism activities. You or me, buddy, and it's going to be me.
How about all the suburbs gobbling up the farm and prairie so Bill can have a three-car garage? What about the highways and roads, billions of miles of high-maintenance blacktop that kills fauna, emits heat, and sluices rain like a gutter? On a recent drive from Iowa to California, I was appalled by the garbage that destroys every single vista in this gorgeous country. Even Nebraska looked the worse for all the shit dollar stores and "development" projects whose sole purpose is to extract money and channel it into the accounts of the same handful of shit heels who own 80% of everything.
So yeah. Automobiles are hideous for almost every reason, and the social toll is the worst. Vonnegut said that aliens would naturally assume we were their slaves instead of the contrary.
The Big Bad is Alfred Sloan, whose pet project was to destroy public transportation while shoving every ass into a GM car starting with Chevy and ending with a Cadillac coffin. He wanted to cover America with blacktop. Fucker would sure be pleased now.
I shared your Dune post on Facebook. I have a Substack too. Really hard getting anyone to read it, but I have a day job too. Keep on sluggin.
are there going to be any contests for us commenters
Yeah… “most fucked up blueberry” contest. Winner gets a free sub
Interesting way to treat a paying subscriber...