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Flashwastes

8 comments on Flashwastes

Flashwastes
: Two choices:

(1) Declare flashmobs tired and retired. It was cute for a day. But they are pointless and irritating: just a bunch of rich and wired kids with nothing better to do showing off that they are rich and wired and can afford to waste their time.

(2) Organize a flashmob to actually do something useful: Hey, kids, let’s all meet in Central Park at 7:08 and each of us pick up a piece of litter? Or why don’t we all meet in downtown Manhattan and give the still-struggling merchants down there a little business? Or let’s all show up on the FCC’s doorstep and tell them that we want more wireless innovation now. (Special French edition: Let’s all show up at an old folks’ home, make sure they’re not dying of the heat, and bring them a cold Evian.)

8 responses to “Flashwastes”

  1. Jackie D Avatar
    Jackie D

    I thought that number two was a good option, but apparently the organisers are adamant that there be no purpose whatsoever to the mobs.
    Yawn.

  2. JFT Avatar
    JFT

    Would “jumping headfirst into a manhole” be considered a purpose?

  3. Bob71 Avatar
    Bob71

    I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and skipped “field service” (what they call waking you up Saturday morning) one week to sneak to a Habitat for Humanity site. We were there to clean out a burned out row house, which was then to be renovated, but while the home was buried in garbage it’s hard to say the central city block around it was much better. I figured that since the witnesses hit these houses almost once a week, they would be better offer spreading their version of the gospel by coming every second or fourth time in with trash bags instead of religious tracts. Of course if the people in the area cared more for the place they live, most of the trash wouldn’t be there to begin with. And doing something actually helpful instead of telling people for a magic hero to come from the sky and solve everything, would not be in line with the JW’s version of the gospel.

  4. cmonks Avatar
    cmonks

    Group Mobilization as a Desperate Cry for Help.

  5. hugh macleod Avatar
    hugh macleod

    Ha! Cmonks, that McSweeny’s article was hilarious.
    Yep- rich, wired and unemployed is an unfortunate combo. A guy at my old job was like that (except he wasn’t unemployed, natch, at least… not then bwah ha ha ha). Another guy used to do this hilarious “I’m way too cool for my job” imitation for him.

  6. Van der Leun Avatar
    Van der Leun

    Never underestimate Howard Rhinegold’s ability to pick up on yesterdays’ trends.

  7. Daniel Avatar
    Daniel

    Trop nul !!! Ca ne devrait m

  8. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    Special ‘Rican Ed. : donnot move my fat ass to the local burger king !