On Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 10:55 AM, Kragen Javier Sitaker <[email protected] > wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 08, 2011 at 09:46:59PM +0530, Deepa Mohan wrote: > > A lot of lists like this may not be relevant to countries and cultures > other > > than the one in which the author lives. > > True enough. They may not even be relevant to other people in the same > country; the guy I passed this afternoon on the street in a wheelchair > wouldn't > appreciate the advice to get a bicycle, for example. > Thanks for the responses...let me go through them. > > I do have a little bit of an advantage here, though: I live in Argentina, a > middle-income country, and I used to live in the US, a rich country. So I > left > out things that only applied in one of those two places, like "shop at > garage > sales" (I don't know what the equivalent of a garage sale is here; maybe an > estate auction?) and "learn Spanish so you don't get charged a higher > price" > (rarely useful in the US and even more rarely useful in India, I imagine). > Actually, knowing the local language IS very useful in India, I find. > > > I have no clue when I will have power/electricity in the house to run my > > vacuum cleaner, and none of my neighbours even need, or use, one. So why > > would they share one with me? > > Maybe you should share a generator with them as well as a vacuum cleaner. > < > http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM125101348P?prdNo=14&blockNo=14&blockType=G14 > > > advertises an 800-watt generator for US$128, which should be enough to run > one > small vacuum cleaner at a time, or light up several houses at once. I > think > those are cheaper here in Argentina but I can't point you at websites. How > much do they cost in India? > I'm afraid I cannot spend $128 to run one small vac at a time! I do have a "UPS"...a set of batteries that charges off the mains, and keeps power going during power cuts. This is investment enough for me...and it will keep only the 5-amp circuits going, not the 15-amp one, which is what I would need for a 1000+ watt vacuum (a lesser-wattage vac isn't effective, I've noticed.) > > An AC inverter to run the vacuum cleaner off a car battery (do you have a > car?) > is probably not a good idea, for two reasons: it costs almost as much as > the > generator (e.g. > < > http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02871495000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 > > > is 750W for US$90) and you'll only be able to run the vacuum cleaner for a > few > minutes at a time that way, since a vacuum cleaner uses a lot more power > than a > car alternator can provide. On the other hand, it would probably pollute > less > and use gasoline more efficiently. > NO vac would pollute less but the dust would pollute more...Hobson's choice :) I borrow the car from my husband's company in Hosure once a month or so. And in any case, it is parked in the basement, and my apartment is on the fourth floor. > > Cleaning rugs with a vacuum cleaner is a lot easier than beating your rugs > periodically, and the rugs last longer. > I agree. Beating, I find, just re-settles the dust! Having used a vac, I cannot imagine life without it (like most gadgets that one gets used to) ...but none of my neighbours have one, or can even understand why I'd need one. I've demonstrated it to them, until someone asked me if I was working for the company for commission! > At Velatropa, an ecovillage I visit periodically near here, they have very > unreliable mains power. They have a broken laptop there that charges its > battery from the mains power when there is some, and its battery powers > several > tiny fractional-watt white LED lights at night, which illuminate the > kitchen > enough to cook by. When they have mains power, they can also use the > laptop > with a discarded CRT monitor they've hooked up to it. > This seems a good solution for some of the villages near the forest where I volunteer regularly! Let me see how I can implement this in the power-starved villages there. > > > Can I wear dollar-store flipflops (which is the *cool* way of mentioning > > our very own "hawaii chappals* to a play, to a meeting? > > It probably depends on how stuck-up the other people at the play or meeting > are. I wore them to meetings all day today ("CISL", the "International > Free > Software Conference", or rather one of a number of conferences with that > name). > I do that several times a week. I was probably wearing them the last time > I > went to a play. > It's not only a question of "stuck up". I walk to the theatre that I do play reviews for. I don't want open footwear for the 4 km walk. I sometimes go to conduct formal interviews. I do not like the way I look with rubber footwear! And I often take children and adults on nature trails...I would definitely not wear any open footwear in the forest areas. So I've compromised...I don't wear leather...I buy closed shoes, and wear them in almost all situations. > > > As for not washing dishes....I want to see any household where this is > > acceptable (not bachelor pads.) > > It's not acceptable in my household, that's for sure. And yet, sometimes I > let > the dishes go longer than I should: a failure to take the opportunity to > create > a little bit of prosperity for the cost of a little hot water and soap. > When you've been hard-wired with the need to get dishes washed regularly, as I have, leaving them to accumulate over a period of a day and then washing them/getting them washed is the best I can do. Beyond that...I find I am spending useful time doing this chore. Since I am also paying a maid to do this task, I get it done daily. > > > As for sharpening knives...I've not sharpened a knife in more than a > > decade.... > > Why is that? Do you not cook, do you cook with dull knives (dangerous and > limiting), or do you have someone else who sharpens your knives for you? > I have five very expensive (practically Madhu Menon-class) surgical-steel knives, to do all my different types of cutting/chopping/paring. Sharpening these knives doesn't work, and I bought some about five or six years ago after realizing that fact. Now...when these wear out..I'll invest in some more expensive ones. I *love* my knives, and don't let anyone else use them :) I have contributed, alas, to the demise of the knife-sharpener's livelihood.... (But Madhu Menon..visavis our FB conversation.....I STILL *hate* chopping cabbage fine. Speed, esp with sharp knives, results in chopped lady's fingers.) > > > I don't think I've ever been a particularly conspicuous consumer. I > appreciate > your feedback, though. It's highly educational, if unintentionally > amusing. That was a general rant, I don't think YOU in particular may be a conspicuous consumer, but the easy assumption that I can vacuum/ buy a cycle/do other things to "improve" my consumption, irked me. Now I am unirked by your response, and clarifications. The solutions (which work for you!) are still bah-worthy for me, but yes, I agree that they may work for someone else on this list! I think I was judgemental....and crabby and grumpy..... I am sorry about that.I am not usually so! And if I was unintentionally amusing, I'm glad about that. It was just that as an Indian, I've been the recipient of the kind of restrictions a doctor-after-eating-too-well places on a poor patient..."Don't consume too much! Eat less of pate de foie gras... and go easy on the caviar!"...Patient: "Huh? What's pate? what's caviar?" I've been told not to run my car out too often. I do NOT use a car on a daily basis! So...cheers, and thank you for responding :) I will go for my bucket-bath now.
