iYuck: Sour Apples

[Ronja]

Making do and refurbing things?!! YOU are the reason for the global recession. Get out there and spend, spend, spend!!

.

[Azathoth]

[MiM]

One partial solution to the excesses of robber-baron style capitalism is prolonging the life of the things we use and also effective recycling.

Two examples:

All party dresses, fine shoes etc. that our kids have ever had have been bought second-hand. What's the point in getting something for the full price, made from new materials and likely in horrid conditions, if it is only going to be worn 1-3 times before the kid grows out of it?

Of the three laptops that we have, two have been bought second hand and refitted with Linux, which is much lighter to run than the newer Windows versions. Now that the hard disk of one broke, MiM made its load even lighter by giving up on Ubuntu and moving to Puppy Linux (files are saved on Dropbox, as before, and now also backed up locally on our newer Linux server). We also recently cleaned up the 5 year old Windows laptop, which I need due to my work, of anything and everything extra, to prolong its working life for 6-24 months still.

Yes, I will need a more powerful dual-boot laptop soon due to work reasons, but instead of buying it 2-3 years ago we have managed to get by until now, which is a consolation for both my conscience and my wallet.

Making do and refurbing things?!! YOU are the reason for the global recession. Get out there and spend, spend, spend!!

And yesterday, I spent half an hour on the phone to find a suitable used tyre to replace the one we had a flat on, instead of buying the full set of four new ones. Cost us 25€ instead of 400.

Yes, in the unlucky event that we still own this old car next Autumn, this is only postponing the investment

[Clinton Huxley]

One partial solution to the excesses of robber-baron style capitalism is prolonging the life of the things we use and also effective recycling.

Two examples:

All party dresses, fine shoes etc. that our kids have ever had have been bought second-hand. What's the point in getting something for the full price, made from new materials and likely in horrid conditions, if it is only going to be worn 1-3 times before the kid grows out of it?

Of the three laptops that we have, two have been bought second hand and refitted with Linux, which is much lighter to run than the newer Windows versions. Now that the hard disk of one broke, MiM made its load even lighter by giving up on Ubuntu and moving to Puppy Linux (files are saved on Dropbox, as before, and now also backed up locally on our newer Linux server). We also recently cleaned up the 5 year old Windows laptop, which I need due to my work, of anything and everything extra, to prolong its working life for 6-24 months still.

Yes, I will need a more powerful dual-boot laptop soon due to work reasons, but instead of buying it 2-3 years ago we have managed to get by until now, which is a consolation for both my conscience and my wallet.

Making do and refurbing things?!! YOU are the reason for the global recession. Get out there and spend, spend, spend!!

And yesterday, I spent half an hour on the phone to find a suitable used tyre to replace the one we had a flat on, instead of buying the full set of four new ones. Cost us 25€ instead of 400.

Yes, in the unlucky event that we still own this old car next Autumn, this is only postponing the investment

Tut tut! You are betraying capitalism!

[Clinton Huxley]

Damn straight!

[klr]

Strange days when Bill Gates is considered a saint - or at least not the scum of the earth.

[Clinton Huxley]

Strange days when Bill Gates is considered a saint - or at least not the scum of the earth.

True, but then, when you use iTunes, you realise that even Windows Vista is not so bad....

All power to Sir William of Gates and his charitable billions.

[Horwood Beer-Master]

Strange days when Bill Gates is considered a saint - or at least not the scum of the earth.

True, but then, when you use iTunes, you realise that even Windows Vista is not so bad....

All power to Sir William of Gates and his charitable billions.

Just as long as we never accept the notion that charitable giving is an acceptable substitute for paying one's taxes.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Strange days when Bill Gates is considered a saint - or at least not the scum of the earth.

True, but then, when you use iTunes, you realise that even Windows Vista is not so bad....

All power to Sir William of Gates and his charitable billions.

Just as long as we never accept the notion that charitable giving is an acceptable substitute for paying one's taxes.

Why shouldn't it be? In the US you can claim charitable donations as deductions from your total income.

[Clinton Huxley]

Strange days when Bill Gates is considered a saint - or at least not the scum of the earth.

True, but then, when you use iTunes, you realise that even Windows Vista is not so bad....

All power to Sir William of Gates and his charitable billions.

Just as long as we never accept the notion that charitable giving is an acceptable substitute for paying one's taxes.

As I read somewhere - "I don't mind paying taxes. With them I buy civilization"

[Svartalf]

One partial solution to the excesses of robber-baron style capitalism is prolonging the life of the things we use and also effective recycling.

Two examples:

All party dresses, fine shoes etc. that our kids have ever had have been bought second-hand. What's the point in getting something for the full price, made from new materials and likely in horrid conditions, if it is only going to be worn 1-3 times before the kid grows out of it?

Of the three laptops that we have, two have been bought second hand and refitted with Linux, which is much lighter to run than the newer Windows versions. Now that the hard disk of one broke, MiM made its load even lighter by giving up on Ubuntu and moving to Puppy Linux (files are saved on Dropbox, as before, and now also backed up locally on our newer Linux server). We also recently cleaned up the 5 year old Windows laptop, which I need due to my work, of anything and everything extra, to prolong its working life for 6-24 months still.

Yes, I will need a more powerful dual-boot laptop soon due to work reasons, but instead of buying it 2-3 years ago we have managed to get by until now, which is a consolation for both my conscience and my wallet.

Making do and refurbing things?!! YOU are the reason for the global recession. Get out there and spend, spend, spend!!

And yesterday, I spent half an hour on the phone to find a suitable used tyre to replace the one we had a flat on, instead of buying the full set of four new ones. Cost us 25€ instead of 400.

Yes, in the unlucky event that we still own this old car next Autumn, this is only postponing the investment

Tut tut! You are betraying capitalism!

and what fealty doe the Mad Sultan owe capitalism?

The problem of capitalism is that it's not a social contract, and that the less well favored have no grounds to stay by its rules if they can profit better by flouting them.

[Svartalf]

Strange days when Bill Gates is considered a saint - or at least not the scum of the earth.

Good Propaganda Staffel... the guy is scum, made a fortune by selling bad product and preventing better stuff from reaching the market, but at least he decided to invest the portion of his money that he can't use for himself into something that will do some good as well as reduce his taxes.

[Svartalf]

Strange days when Bill Gates is considered a saint - or at least not the scum of the earth.

True, but then, when you use iTunes, you realise that even Windows Vista is not so bad....

All power to Sir William of Gates and his charitable billions.

Just as long as we never accept the notion that charitable giving is an acceptable substitute for paying one's taxes.

Why shouldn't it be? In the US you can claim charitable donations as deductions from your total income.

Because the state needs you tax money, and what you give to charity usually does not go anywhere near where it would actually benefit the country.
Plus, if you 'give to charity' with money that would otherwise go into the taxmman's coffers, that's not charity, that's depriving your country of needed resources, which should be a treason level crime.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It the prime motivator for charitable donations in the US, so I'm good with at least part of it being "in lieu of taxes". When Ted Turner gave the Wolf Center $100,000.00 last year he made damn sure he got a receipt.

[Horwood Beer-Master]

It the prime motivator for charitable donations in the US...

What a shitty reason to give to charity