The Rittenhouse Verdict by Glenn Greenwald. A concurring opinion of course, because smart tracks smart.

Let that be that. Fuck babyface, and fuck the whole subject. There are important matters to consider.

Let me introduce you to Mav.

Twenty-fivish, pretty-boyish. Of average intelligence and self-esteem, frequently questionable tastes, a self-described introvert but well-socialized. No discernible political consciousness of any kind. Sounds like he grew up comfortably (at least one Mexican seaside resort vacation as a kid), became a competent lake fisherman, made it through college on a wing and a prayer, and worked some basic shitty jobs he hated, just to get by, just like every other swinging dick in this place.

He had ‘savings’, but the cash stack trended downwards, and was nearing zero when he decided to take on a fat car payment, truck actually, on credit, and hit the road. This was somewhere around two years ago, almost certainly pre-pandemic. With the acquisition of the truck, and the decision to explore the truck-camping lifestyle, the modest view counts for the videos on his YouTube channel exploded. He seems to have spent plenty of time at the parental home in Minnesota, but maybe half out and about, making these little films without urgency from time to time.

I only met him myself because I was looking for information on the reality of winter camping in a rig like that. I found this video, from March of this year. Twelve quick minutes on the story of what happened when he decided to camp in four feet of snow up above Golden, Colorado.

Over eight. Hundred. Thousand. Views.

If you watch the video carefully you can discern at least two other collateral income streams. He does a little influencer-style advertising for Bespoke. And he mentions and promotes mavmadeit.com, where he apparently sells things he’s … made.

But that’s just gravy. He has over a million subscribers now.

I wasn’t paying attention to the view counts, until he put this out a couple of weeks ago:

I saved $400k living out of my truck

My first thought was ‘clickbait bullshit, no way’. Is he talking about not paying rent, and the savings of that?

Well, no.

I believe him now. I think he made close to half a mil, mostly on these whimsical little slice of road life vids, in a couple of languid years that happened to be filled with people forced to stay home, and feed their content hunger for weeks on end.

They watched because he was living a life they all wished they could dare to live.

Right now tonight, though it strains human credulity and any notion of godly virtue, this punk is sort of turning into my role model.

Shh, shh, just listen.

It’s true that Mister Mav is young, hot, and pretty, and equally true that I am none of those things. Except just a tiny bit hot still, to a very narrow and specialized demographic.

It’s also true that I have no stomach at all for filming every aspect of my personal life, or, if we’re being real, for even showing my face that much, or at all, and especially on the Internet. My introversion, my camera-shyness, is feral and likely rabid.

The majority of people visiting this spill don’t know the name my Momma gave me.

But conversely I do have a few things in my favor. I’m not gonna brag on most of them. But if nothing else, let’s say that I don’t need anywhere near two hundred thousand dollars a year to live the way I want to.

I don’t need a million views.

A small fraction of that would suit me fine, and put me where I need to be without worry.

This truck thing is part of it. But so is the land I bought for cash. So is free and open source software, and other less tangible manifestations of anarchy.

The poetry of lightning pushing the edge. The juniper, the mullein, the coatimundi.

Captivated and cinematographed with a sound track of murmurs.

Sure I could write it all down.

But I have, and a lot of damn good that’s done me ennit. I think it’s part of why I failed at it for weeks.

I think it’s time to make some movies. For financial reasons and artistic ones alike. Even for a long-delayed spurt in personal growth.

That’s what I’m thinking.

This is the Spill.