Explain ''Mark Uher''
8-17-2002
I have been reading the posting on this website for several months. I am appreciative of the news, but am absolutely addicted to the social satire. Citizens write in under non-de plumes ranging from past presidents to obscure Greek generals. One has even signed in under the name of the inquisitor of Joan D?’Arc. I get most of the references, but I can still not get the allusion to the most brilliant literary creation of all, the person writing under the obviously false name of ?“Mark Usher?”. Is this a reference to some obscure Russian novel of a character from Sinclair Lewis?’ ?“Main Street?” or ''Winesburg, Ohio''? The character is such a simple-minded booster of the type parodied in Lewis books and other nineteenth century literature that I have perused scores of novels with no luck. Perhaps the name is an anagram, but the best I can come up with is ?“Muck Hare?” which is perhaps an attempt to synthesize Carroll?’s character, the Mad Hatter and the Mock Turtle.
In any event, I am sure that the character is fictional, as no real person could obviously exist. The beliefs of this character are so simplistic and yet contradictory that it would be impossible to find such a person functioning at any level in the outside world. Any real person could not hold such mutually contradictory ideas without creating such cognitive dissonance so as to render the person incapable of speaking in public without drooling on his shoes. Should such a character exist in the real world, the disdain and disgust he would engender among his fellow citizens would likely cause him to either leave town or lock himself in the basement with the lights off from fear of revivals of the old practice of tar and feathering. The character is so impish that if not for the obviously modern spelling of the name I would expect an obscure reference to one of the minor demons in Dante?’s ?“Inferno?”.
Consider the odd ideas of this man. He writes incessantly on this forum, yet apparently believes that this is some sort of secret political action committee designed to spread subversive ideas. Look over the past years of writing. Who has published on this site more than any other single person without any charge to him or with any attempt to silence his rather odd ideas? Examine his professed concern that we do not economically discriminate against those who wish to live in smaller homes and apartments and compare them with his actions in seeking to keep these same people from going to school with his ?“brilliant?” children. Behold the man who?’s concerned about ?“democracy?” in a private organization, but freely endorse city politicians who routinely cut off the rights of citizens to vote. Note the strangeness of a man who believes that the leading vote getter in the last municipal election actually lost because one apartment complex voted against him and that the real mandate of the people was granted to a universally disliked politician who has lost every election he has been where he has had an opponent. He deplores personal attacks, but spends apparently every waking hour thinking up new insults to heap upon others. Here is a man who claims to be a very successful businessperson, but how can that be when his primary occupation appears to be that of a self appointed busybody.
-By Sam Clemens
By Historian
8-17-2002
I have been reading the posting on this website for several months. I am appreciative of the news, but am absolutely addicted to the social satire. Citizens write in under non-de plumes ranging from past presidents to obscure Greek generals. One has even signed in under the name of the inquisitor of Joan D?’Arc. I get most of the references, but I can still not get the allusion to the most brilliant literary creation of all, the person writing under the obviously false name of ?“Mark Usher?”. Is this a reference to some obscure Russian novel of a character from Sinclair Lewis?’ ?“Main Street?” or ''Winesburg, Ohio''? The character is such a simple-minded booster of the type parodied in Lewis books and other nineteenth century literature that I have perused scores of novels with no luck. Perhaps the name is an anagram, but the best I can come up with is ?“Muck Hare?” which is perhaps an attempt to synthesize Carroll?’s character, the Mad Hatter and the Mock Turtle.
In any event, I am sure that the character is fictional, as no real person could obviously exist. The beliefs of this character are so simplistic and yet contradictory that it would be impossible to find such a person functioning at any level in the outside world. Any real person could not hold such mutually contradictory ideas without creating such cognitive dissonance so as to render the person incapable of speaking in public without drooling on his shoes. Should such a character exist in the real world, the disdain and disgust he would engender among his fellow citizens would likely cause him to either leave town or lock himself in the basement with the lights off from fear of revivals of the old practice of tar and feathering. The character is so impish that if not for the obviously modern spelling of the name I would expect an obscure reference to one of the minor demons in Dante?’s ?“Inferno?”.
Consider the odd ideas of this man. He writes incessantly on this forum, yet apparently believes that this is some sort of secret political action committee designed to spread subversive ideas. Look over the past years of writing. Who has published on this site more than any other single person without any charge to him or with any attempt to silence his rather odd ideas? Examine his professed concern that we do not economically discriminate against those who wish to live in smaller homes and apartments and compare them with his actions in seeking to keep these same people from going to school with his ?“brilliant?” children. Behold the man who?’s concerned about ?“democracy?” in a private organization, but freely endorse city politicians who routinely cut off the rights of citizens to vote. Note the strangeness of a man who believes that the leading vote getter in the last municipal election actually lost because one apartment complex voted against him and that the real mandate of the people was granted to a universally disliked politician who has lost every election he has been where he has had an opponent. He deplores personal attacks, but spends apparently every waking hour thinking up new insults to heap upon others. Here is a man who claims to be a very successful businessperson, but how can that be when his primary occupation appears to be that of a self appointed busybody.
-By Sam Clemens
By Historian
