[geeks] Being a guy, and being sentimental.

[geeks at sunhelp.org]

~ Fogg, James wrote:
~ 
~ > OK, so I don't throw out anything usefull either. Maybe it 
~ isn't a good
~ > coffe table, but it can keep computers off the floor. When 
~ it finaly has no
~ > purpose, use it as firewood. Nothing should go to a landfill unless
~ > absolutely nothing more can be done with an item.
~ 
~ What! Are you trying to ruin the economy? (sarcasm)
~ 
~ There is an interesting book by Susan Strasser called "Waste 
~ and Want - the
~ social history of trash." It describes our historical 
~ relationship with
~ landfills and stuff we throw out, and in it are some 
~ interesting examples of
~ ways people reused objects. There are also nice chapters 
~ about the origins
~ of planned obsolescence and how Ford almost became a 
~ non-player for his
~ refusal to arbitrarily change body styles. I recommend it highly.
~ 

Have you ever seen what goes into a landfill? As geeks, many listmembers are
familiar with "curbside collecting". I have actually spent a day at a
landfill (phuking pew!!!) and was ammazed at the perfectly good shit people
toss. The town I live in now has a "metal pile" for stuff that they don't
want placed in the crusher. I see air conditioners, major appliances,
photocopiers, woodstoves and other usefull stuff that look like they were
working when dropped off. Other than Goodwill & the Salvation Army, there is
no good way to recycle stuff to people that can't spend the money for new
stuff. I've placed free-ads for stuff myself and got no responses.

What really kills me is watching buildings being landfilled. Tons of good
wood go to rot ever day. Someone could start a profitable business cleaning
and reselling bricks and lumber at a CDW landfill.