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RPB wrote:

AndyC wrote:

cougartex wrote:8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

Once I left home and had to do my own laundry, that's the first thing I learned :)

I didn't have a lot of money and so washed my clothes in the bath - and it was luxury indeed once I saved enough to buy one of those l'il hand-cranked washer things:

Reminds me of what a friend in college did to save money.
He said the laundrymat charged 50 cents to wash clothes, but the apartment had a dishwasher he could use free. The dishes came out clean, hard and shiny, and so did his shorts.

And that reminds me of a scene from the old Rob Schneider sitcom "Men Behaving Badly," where he stumbles into the kitchen in the morning, can't find the coffee filters, picks up a pair of dirty underwear off the couch, drapes it over the coffee holder in the coffee maker, and dumps the coffee grinds into the underwear and makes some coffee.

Bullwhip,

I just visited the website you provided.

Many of the items featured there were in use when I was a kid. Generally, their purpose demands a great investment in time and labor in comparison to the same appliances we use today.

Technologically speaking, stepping backwards by using these appliances achieves ...?

Hanging clothes to dry is good for you. You get exercise and fresh air.

Abraham wrote: Technologically speaking, stepping backwards by using these appliances achieves ...?

Hmmm, a warm fuzzy dose of nostalgia and reduced carbon footprint?

Edit: [/SARCASM]

"reduced carbon footprint"

You betcha!

Let's see: Trade in my gas guzzler. Get a buggy and a hay burner. Check! (hey, I'm in no hurry and care not for comfort or efficiency or the mess I have to clean up everywhere I go)

Use only 1 sheet of toilet paper per outing. Check!

Take only 1 shower per week, wait, just use a wet rag and some home made soap.
Check!

Turn into a disciple of Al Gore, Mr. CARBON FOOTPRINT himself. Check!

Become a sanctimonious vegan. Check!

Then..., wait, hold it.

I refuse to become a new age Luddite.

I'm going to trade in my V-8 Tundra for a Greyhound bus RV and use it as my everyday vehicle.

I've just now decided to put in an Olympic size pool next to which I intend to barbeque herds of beef and flocks of chickens and the occasional Ostrich for Thanksgiving and at Christmas greet everyone with "MERRY CHRISTMAS" in a loud happy voice.

Aaaaaaah, I feel better.

Abraham wrote:"reduced carbon footprint"

You betcha!

Let's see: Trade in my gas guzzler. Get a buggy and a hay burner. Check! (hey, I'm in no hurry and care not for comfort or efficiency or the mess I have to clean up everywhere I go)

Use only 1 sheet of toilet paper per outing. Check!

Take only 1 shower per week, wait, just use a wet rag and some home made soap.
Check!

Turn into a disciple of Al Gore, Mr. CARBON FOOTPRINT himself. Check!

Become a sanctimonious vegan. Check!

Then..., wait, hold it.

I refuse to become a new age Luddite.

I'm going to trade in my V-8 Tundra for a Greyhound bus RV and use it as my everyday vehicle.

I've just now decided to put in an Olympic size pool next to which I intend to barbeque herds of beef and flocks of chickens and the occasional Ostrich for Thanksgiving and at Christmas greet everyone with "MERRY CHRISTMAS" in a loud happy voice.

Aaaaaaah, I feel better.

I erred by not including [/sarcasm] after my previous post for those that don't get the concept (I will edit to include). But extremes run in both directions...

To look at it another way, we could frac more of the Bartlett shale, polluting more ground water, to obtain more gas to burn, further polluting our air, to generate more electricity so one's socks can be "Downey soft" from the dryer. Isn't technology wonderful?

At least a warm fuzzy dose of nostalgia seems to be okay, whew!

Why does every thread have to turn political? This was a discussion about CLOTHESLINES.

TxKimberMan wrote:Why does every thread have to turn political? This was a discussion about CLOTHESLINES.

Maybe because we can't discuss religion.

Abraham wrote:Technologically speaking, stepping backwards by using these appliances achieves ...?

Some folks like to live simple and not have to be connected to the grid. Or maybe they are connected but not very reliable.

Lot harder to wash clothes in that Maytag by hand when the power is off than it is to use a rub board and ringer. Can't burn wood in that Kenmore stove.

"Can't burn wood in that Kenmore stove."

Oops

TexasGal wrote:"Can't burn wood in that Kenmore stove."

Oops

Sure you can...once.

I get a kick out the various Amish-type philosophies, that is, folks who find an era of lower technology that suits them and declare it best.

I then wonder how they arrive at their conclusions.

It seems to me, if one derides higher technology, finding the lower nobler, why not rid themselves of all vestiges of technology?

Heck, why not go all the way and wear animal skins and use flint axes?

Wait, that too includes technology, primitive though it may be.

All right, to be truly noble, remain naked and scavenge.

Now, that's noble...

Abraham wrote:I get a kick out the various Amish-type philosophies, that is, folks who find an era of lower technology that suits them and declare it best.

I then wonder how they arrive at their conclusions.

WildBill wrote:Maybe because we can't discuss religion.

Abraham wrote:I get a kick out the various Amish-type philosophies, that is, folks who find an era of lower technology that suits them and declare it best.

I then wonder how they arrive at their conclusions.

It seems to me, if one derides higher technology, finding the lower nobler, why not rid themselves of all vestiges of technology?

Heck, why not go all the way and wear animal skins and use flint axes?

Wait, that too includes technology, primitive though it may be.

All right, to be truly noble, remain naked and scavenge.

Now, that's noble...

I do not understand the details of what the Amish do or do not believe. There are many sects of them in both PA and OH and there are many differences between them. What makes them unique, while it may have some religious basis that only they understand, is the social aspect of their lifestyle. If one could have frozen what happened when their ancestors arrived in America, that appears to be the basis for their social customs. While I personally wouldn't like the life style, they seem to have avoided many of the ills of society that the rest of us have to deal with. I don't think it is as much of a rejection of technology as it is a rejection of the bad aspects of what technology can do to their community. Some groups use gas powered engines but only if they are not self propelled.

We regularly visit Amish farms when we visit our relatives. They are very friendly people, excellent businessmen and grow terrific produce. They just don't dress or live as we do. They work very hard.

You can tell an Amish farm very far away, even if you don't notice the lack of motorized vehicles. There is always a VERY LONG clothes line that normally stretches from the house to a much higher point on the side of the barn. Those clotheslines seem to always be filled with clothes. There is nothing like putting the family wash in very public view.

chasfm11 wrote:We regularly visit Amish farms when we visit our relatives. They are very friendly people, excellent businessmen and grow terrific produce. They just don't dress or live as we do. They work very hard.

You can tell an Amish farm very far away, even if you don't notice the lack of motorized vehicles. There is always a VERY LONG clothes line that normally stretches from the house to a much higher point on the side of the barn. Those clotheslines seem to always be filled with clothes. There is nothing like putting the family wash in very public view.

It's funny, I have visited the "Amish Country" a few times in Pennsylvania but never noticed a clothes line. Or maybe I just didn't pay attention to it.

They do work very hard. During one visit I remember seeing a woman behind a big horse, plowing the fields. It was a hot and dusty day and she was wearing a bonnet and a full length dress while I watched her from my "fancy" air-conditioned car.

Proof of global warming. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/4618 ... 806f_o.jpg