Writing Project Update

WEEKLY WORD COUNT - Less than 500. I've had a number of differeny projects going on this week and while I touched on a couple projects, there will be weeks on and weeks off. Rest assured that there will be lots to update following next week's bash.

GRATUITOUS PLUG: Donate to the Space Monkeys at http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/team_info.php?TeamKey=2009-4433#

Next week's Slaughterhouse topic is up for auction. If you're the high bid before March 6, the topic is all yours. Currently the clubhouse leader is Cami Coy, who contributed $150 to the Space Monkeys yesterday. Whoever's the leader at 9 PM PST on March 6, I'll write 500 words or more about anything you want.

Also, from now until 3 PM on March 6, every $5 you donate gets you a ticket into the contest to choose what color I'm going to dye my hair for the St. Baldrick's party. (If you donated before 2/25 you get a ticket for every $10.) So Cami's currently got 30 tickets that says my hair's going to be royal purple.

RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S ITEM: Six

NUMBER OF NEW SUGGESTIONS THIS WEEK: Three (Ken, Ken, and Jay Lyden)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Dear Mr. Monkey,

My father used to tell the story of a guy changing his tire outside of a mental hospital. A patient stood silently watching. The guy accidentally kicked the hub cap holding the four lug nuts over and they fell down a storm sewer. He ranted and swore mighty oathes. The mental patient told him to take one nut off of each of the three remaining wheels and drive slowly to a gas station. The guy remarked that it was a great idea. The patient replied; "Hey I'm crazy, I'm not stupid."

Please see the attached and should I win, I'll expect your rebuttal to Mr. Kaczynski as my prize. To make it even more interesting, make your reply complete, convincing and under 150 words and I'll kick in $50.00 more.

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2009/02/the_unabomber_w.php

Bwah ha ha.

Kurtz.

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OK, first of all, you should read the entire linked article; it's good. The premise I'm going to try to argue against is:

Personal freedoms are constrained by society, as they must be.
The stronger that technology makes society, the less freedoms.
Technology destroys nature, which strengthens technology further.
This ratchet of technological self-amplification is stronger than politics.
Any attempt to use technology or politics to tame the system only strengthens it.
Therefore technological civilization must be destroyed, rather than reformed.
Since it cannot be destroyed by tech or politics, humans must push industrial society towards its inevitable end of self-collapse.
Then pounce on it when it is down and kill it before it rises again.

In less than 150 words, in about two and a half hours. With $50 on the line.

Showtime.