A commercial that promotes the worst of today

[Yeps]

If one good blade doesn't do the job I've a multi-blade kitchen knife franchise I'd like to sell you. I'll throw in the Brooklyn Bridge for good measure too..

I will not debate the superiority of a single good blade (hence my statement about straight razors). However, the multi-blade disposables are vastly superior to single-blade disposables, at least in my experience.

 

[ButteMT61]

I will not debate the superiority of a single good blade (hence my statement about straight razors). However, the multi-blade disposables are vastly superior to single-blade disposables, at least in my experience.

As in mine, but some in this thread are determined to battle. Let 'em be. And enjoy a good shave tonight!

 

[Feraud]

When modern consumer culture stops being stupid, I'll stop being judgemental about it.

Quote of the Day. :eusa_clap

 

[vitanola]

T On older fan that works is great. If you can find one, go for it and make use of it. But if I decided that the Victrola was the farthest I wanted to go with audio equipment, well, let's just say my musical choices would be limited. Some of the earliest cars were steam powered. While it would be fun to pull into a gas station to try to buy wood or coal, I don't think it is a practical option.

Limited?

Well little electric guitar, but otherwise fine performances of everything from Palestrina to Delta Blues, Dance music of all kinds to Lieder are available in the 78 format. As for the lack of electric guitar, well, that is a feature, not a defect, isn't it?

"Wood or Coal"? That statement can be described by a word which sounds a lot like the name of an Australasian race which inhabits the Island of Luzon. Steam cars, commercial steam cars, at any rate, burned distillate, either light or heavy, depending largely upon when the machine was built. Early steamers tended to burn gasoline, as it was cheap relative to Kerosine. Later cars used Kerosine, as by the 'teens it was considerably cheaper than gas and packed more BTU's per gallon.

 

[Flicka]

I think there's a confusion here between individuality, the idea of cultivating one's own tastes -- and individualism, the philosophy that teaches that the desires of the individual are more important than the needs of society as a whole. Not the same thing at all, and the former is far less dangerous than the latter.

Aha, that explains my confusion. In Swedish, we only have one word for the two. I would therefore like it noted that I am a fan of individuality but not individualism (beyond the idea that the individual does have certain rights that must not be violated even in the interest of Greater Good, as evident in the Declaration on Human Rights).

And modern consumerism is also usually considered to have first emerged in the 18th century, although it didn't properly take off until the 20th century. I don't personally think that makes it better or worse. I dislike consumerism entirely based ob its own merits, not because it's new.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I agree that consumerism had always existed to some degree or another, the problem is that what we've had for the last forty years or so is hyper-consumerism which bears little resemblance to its earlier iterations.

 

[William Stratford]

Such a non-judegemental group here...very enlightening.

Of course, the irony there is that you are being judgemental about other people judging. By decrying judgemental behaviour you are yourself engaging in it.

Then according to this logic, buying things according to appropriateness means one had to buy the "right" things to express their adherence to taste and custom so again, "guilty" of the same thing.

I buy things that I/my personality is attracted to rather than seeing it as an expression of it.

It was getting a little late for me last night, so I may have been getting a bit garbled. In light of that, I will endeavour to clarify now sleep has been accessed.

There is traditionalism, and there is consumerism; and within consumerism there is hyper-consumerism.

Traditionalism is when we receive that which came before, taking on faith what is given and finding your identity in acquiesing to it. It connects the generations together in a coherent and cohesive society, being based upon the principle of inheriting, holding in trust, cherishing and preserving, and in time passing on for the next generation to do the same. With traditionalism, change happens very slowly, across the generations, as society grows and changes organically.

Consumerism, conversely, discards what came before, and procures anew in order to express your inner individual identity. This message is then carried on to the next generation, who are by definition taught to behave the same...discarding what you offer them as they then procure anew to express their inner individual identity. The result being that the generations are alienated as the younger are brought to see the older as having nothing of value, with inheritance reduced to a set of goods to be liquidated and turned into cash.

The whole principle of consumerism is intended to serve the cause of industrialised commerce, which needs a constant turnover of goods and so needs to invent a condition of obsolesence - whether by "fashion" (such as telling you that what is "old" is "old fashioned" and thus of no value) or by shoddy building.

What then of hyper-consumerism? Glad you asked. Hyper-consumerism is when the principles of consumerism are not simply about selling a new identity expression to each generation, but getting each generation to also periodically discard what they had previously acquired and "re-invent" how they express their "inner-self"....leading to a constant fashion cycle of procure/use/discard/procure-anew.:eusa_doh: So this does not simply alienate each generation from the last (which is bad enough!) but further sub-fragments each generation as well. :eusa_doh: All in the cause of profit by Miss Lizzie's "Boys from Marketing".

Please watch the Adam Curtis documentary I linked to, it is a real eye-opener.

Right, breakfast!

When modern consumer culture stops being stupid, I'll stop being judgemental about it.

Quote of the day, ma'am.

 

[ButteMT61]

I'm going to look at Subarus tomorrow.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I agree that consumerism had always existed to some degree or another, the problem is that what we've had for the last forty years or so is hyper-consumerism which bears little resemblance to its earlier iterations.

Quite true. Thorstein Veblen described -- and denounced -- the idea of conspicuous consumption over a century ago. But even he had never seen anything like what's come out of the postwar era. The "Waste Makers" era of the late fifties/early sixties was bad enough, but what we've seen happen since the eighties defies all common sense. We've become a society *entirely defined* by what we consume -- as I say, human beings are considered nothing but endless bits of pellet fuel for the stove of commerce, and what's worse, there are people who are perfectly willing to stand up and say that's how it *should* be. Consumption isn't just an economic theory anymore, it's become a hideous parody of religion -- no different, really, from the Babylonians offering up their children as burnt sacrifices to Molech. This generation takes kids and plops them down in front of the TV before they're old enough to know how to think, wraps them up from diapers on out in licensed-character paraphernalia, and as soon as they're old enough to walk they get wired up with every gadget going -- all to ensure that they're as ready and willing as their parents to jump into the furnace when their turn comes.

That's not an outlook, a society, or a world that I want any part of.

 

[sheeplady]

Urgh. I agree with whoever said that they should have at least donated the materials to someplace. Our next home was converted into 3 apartments, so whatever we don't want to keep we are donating locally. (For instance, we'll probably be donating 2 tubs and some kitchen cabinets.) They're not incredibly nice, but there's a lot of people who can't afford a tub or cabinets, or whatever.

Also, they were not wearing appropriate safety gear for the kind of demolition they were doing. Lowe's legal department should know better than showing someone going after a sink top vanity with a sledgehammer and her face exposed. Wait until some idiot tries it at home and get's a chunk of vanity in their face, busts their pipes, or ends up seriously hurt. Lawsuit time.

 

[Noirblack]

Limited?

Well little electric guitar, but otherwise fine performances of everything from Palestrina to Delta Blues, Dance music of all kinds to Lieder are available in the 78 format. As for the lack of electric guitar, well, that is a feature, not a defect, isn't it?

"Wood or Coal"? That statement can be described by a word which sounds a lot like the name of an Australasian race which inhabits the Island of Luzon. Steam cars, commercial steam cars, at any rate, burned distillate, either light or heavy, depending largely upon when the machine was built. Early steamers tended to burn gasoline, as it was cheap relative to Kerosine. Later cars used Kerosine, as by the 'teens it was considerably cheaper than gas and packed more BTU's per gallon.

If you are happy with all and only Victola music, then it works for you. I just want a bit more choice. I'll confess ignorance on the many options on the fuel for steam engines. Maybe it is slightly more practical than I had imagined.

 

[vitanola]

If you are happy with all and only Victola music, then it works for you. I just want a bit more choice. I'll confess ignorance on the many options on the fuel for steam engines. Maybe it is slightly more practical than I had imagined.

SLIGHTLY.

Steamers were easier to drive than gas buggies, but before the development of the flash boiler they took some time to build up an aooropriate head of steam. Before around 1910, most steamers consumed copious quantities of water, as they were not fitted with condensers. This severely limited their travel range between water refills. The perfected steam cars of the late 'teens performed very well indeed, but they were very expensive, quite complicated, and got rather poor fuel mileage. By the time of the Great War the poppet valve internal combustion engine with the addition of electric starting and lighting had advanced to the point where it was more than acceptably reliable and economical. Steam and electric cars quickly became dead letters, for they could not compete against the improved IC machines.

Now, an early machine, like this:

is not an entirely satisfactory sound reproducer to modern ears, but an Orthophonic Victrola like THIS:

produces a rich, full sound, which is pleasing even to modern ears.

My Victrola 8-35 is my most played machine. Good electric records sound splendid when played on it.

I have a few Ivory Joe Hunter and Ruth Brown records on Atlantic, and a bunch of Bill Haley on Coral and Decca, but otherwise my home is mercifully free of electric guitar, and I play those aforementioned discs none too often. In fact, I think that I would rather listen to a 1916 copy of Kai maia o ka maoli by Louise and Ferera than that late stuff.

 

[Noirblack]

Vitola, those are beautiful!

 

[Edward]

Yes, same here. The Realtor showing us the house thought that the vintage cosmetics were a deterrent!

I hope instead of enlightening them you used it as a bargaining tool!

Yes I remember it very well.
Multi-ege razors are the perfect analogy to show how stupid this society is. "Sell them more of the same product and convince them it it is doing three times the job!" Idiots..

While my wallet wishes otherwise, they have their place. I would dearly love to be able to shave my head, not just my face, with a DE safety razor; alas, I have the scars to prove it is simply not possible.

Um... the multi-blade disposable razors really are much better. I mean, as far as disposable razors go. Sure, safety razors and straight razors may be better, but if the choice is between a one or two blade disposable and one of the fancy newer ones with 4 or 5 blades, I will definitely go with the new. (Electric razors, on the other hand, are horrible.)

I never found an electric razor that lifted my stubble at all. Beastly things.

I'm going to look at Subarus tomorrow.

lol Well played, sir!

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I hope instead of enlightening them you used it as a bargaining tool!

Of course!

 

[Amy Jeanne]

My dad has a pink bathroom in the house I grew up in (that he now lives alone in). In the 80s the walls needed serious renovation because of the years of showers.

Then in 2005 we re-did it again because the 80s walls were warping due to damp and steam. By 2005, the original pink tiles on the floor began to warp and come apart. So we had to cover it with a rug. The pink porcelain tub, sink, and toilet still stand, though. Unless you treat it like a museum or you are 1000% super careful, I don't see how any mid-century bathrooms could survive intact. My dad's still had the pink fixtures, but all around it had to be replaced by tatty "individulism" stuff.

Of course, his had to be replaced by necessity -- he did not deliberately smash it lol

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Unless you treat it like a museum or you are 1000% super careful, I don't see how any mid-century bathrooms could survive intact.

I saw them when I was looking to buy a house three years ago and I see them at estate sales. They have held up very well. We had made an offer on another house and it had a 70s blue bathroom that looked brand new.

Keep in mind that the older generations not only had better made things but they generally took better care of them. America wasn't the "disposable" society we are today.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

The walls in the house I grew up in were one step up from cardboard. The original mid-century walls. They were cheaper than the Home Depot walls were recently replaced them with. I remember they began to just crumble -- like wet cardboard.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Up until the early forties, my house didn't have a bathroom at all, and when one was installed it was carved rather crudely out of a corner of the bedroom -- two of the walls and the ceiling were the original lath-and-plaster, and two were gypsum board, which was a new thing at the time. Pink tile was installed halfway up the walls, and you could see that same kind of warping going on from shower steam on the sections made of board by the time I moved in. I ended up fixing it myself -- carefully prying off the original tiles, repairing the wall, and then re-installing the tiles. I'd never done any carpentry before, but that's never stopped me from trying -- and it came out quite nice. No sledgehammers were at any time required.

At some point in the 80s, a past owner replaced the original sink with a little wooden cabinet/vanity thing which was too big for the room -- there's only eighteen inches between the side of the tub and the far wall, and the cabinet of the thing took up half the door space, making it very difficult to get in and out of the bathroom. So that was gone as soon as I could find a small pedestal sink to replace it.

I didn't smash it though -- it's still sitting in my garage, where I use it to store paint and solvent cans and such. I don't have any practical use for the sink part, but it's still there and intact, and if anyone wants it come take it away.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

At some point in the 80s, a past owner replaced the original sink with a little wooden cabinet/vanity thing

That just brought back a repressed memory from our 1980s "pink bathroom" renovation!! The original medicine cabinet/mirror was incredibly mid-century with those great vanity lights surrounding it. My mother replaced it with one of those cheap, ugly wood things that were popular at the time. I weep!!!!