Posted on July 6, 2008
alternative energy clothes dryer
Being the summer of 2008, with gas prices soaring and terms such as “green” and “carbon footprint” being batted about, I thought I would write about my wind/solar powered clothes dryer. It uses the sun and the wind in their most rudimentary forms to dry my clothes. It works in summer and winter. It even works on cloudy days and on days when the air is still. It is a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment that I put together myself.
Built of 2 “T” shaped poles spaced roughly 25 feet apart it has 100 feet of clothesline (oops I gave it away) woven back and forth between the poles, four times. This is by no-means new technology. On the other hand it does seem to be forgotten technology. On suburban Long Island, a clothesline in the yard is as archaic as a TV antenna on the roof. Americans have grown averse to, literally, airing their laundry in public. It brings to mind Thoreau’s remarks in Walden about how a man would sooner walk into town with a broken leg than with a patch on his pants:
“Who could wear a patch, or two extra seams only, over the knee? Most behave as if they believed that their prospects for life would be ruined if they should do it. It would be easier for them to hobble to town with a broken leg than with a broken pantaloon.”
There are no limits to the mortification that I endure using my clothesline, especially when the neighbors are entertaining guests by the pool. And anyway, who has 15-20 minutes to actually go outside to string up their clothes. (I do) It goes back to my reason for blogging -this constant rush past living one’s life, in order to have time for the important stuff – what is the important stuff?
I wake up on a cloudless January morning, escorted by my dog, I take a basket of wet clothes out to the clothesline. Walking to the clothesline with me is one of the thankless jobs that my dog performs on a regular basis. The sun is low in the sky, the trees are bare and the air is cold and crisp. My fingers start to freeze-up from the wetness in the clothes as I string them on the line. Even when the temperature doesn’t rise above freezing, the clothes will dry. At first, my wet towels and shirts freeze-up, as stiff as boards. But the low humidity in the air pulls out the wetness, and within an hour or so the clothes are flapping in the breeze. Before it gets dark, I take another 10-15 minutes to bring in the laundry. Everything doesn’t always dry in the winter so it might need five minutes in the dryer (yea, I own a dryer) to get out the dampness.
Chop wood, carry water, hang out the clothes.
FollowPosted on July 4, 2008
independance day
As it is now the 4th of July I would like to indulge myself in a discussion of semantics. On the fourth, along with the Stars and Stripes, I also display the Culpeper Minutemen flag. For those not familiar with this continental militia flag, it’s the one with the coiled snake and the words “Don’t Tread on Me”. Culpeper being in Virginia also has the words of Patrick Henry: “Liberty or Death”. The flag says “Liberty or Death”, and not “Freedom or Death” We have the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell; and the “Pledge of Allegiance” states: “with liberty and justice for all”. Perhaps some would think that “liberty” is an archaic term for freedom but I think not.
Without getting into the dictionary definitions of liberty vs. freedom, my understanding is that liberty is freedom within a structured setting. Freedom on the other hand seems to me to connote more of a behavior without restraint. If you buy a ticket to a ball game it doesn’t give you the freedom to sit where ever you want. You can cheer and yell just about anything to the players and umpires on the field. You’re at liberty to hurl insults but you don’t have the freedom to hurl bottles.
The Continentals saw the term liberty in relation to being liberated from the tyranny of English rule. Today there are plenty of tyrannical entities out there that we as Americans need to be liberated from. Libertarians in the twenty-first century are sometimes seen as some kind of fringe group. But there are aspects of libertarian principles that appeal to both liberals and conservatives alike. Liberty is one of those truths that we as Americans hold “self evident”. So the next time you’re feeling oppressed by some who believe that they’re free to exercise their basic freedoms while having no regard for yours, think of the other phrase on that Culpeper flag: “Don’t Tread on Me”. Let them know you understand the meaning of liberty.
Posted on July 3, 2008
god save the queen
As Independence Day approaches, it is interesting to note that although the American colonists revolted against the reign of King George III in 1776, 232 years later, the British still live with a monarchy. Not under a monarchy, but never the less, with a monarchy. The last fiscal year saw the Brits spending nearly $80 million to support the Royals. Better them than us. That’s another good reason to celebrate the 4th of July!
Posted on July 1, 2008
in defense of…
Did you know that yesterday, the president signed a $162 billion dollar supplemental defense authorization bill to fund the war on terror. This is in addition to the November bill authorizing nearly $460 billion for our defense budget. The monies spent on U.S. Intelligence, which mostly goes to the Pentagon, is not included in the defense amounts. In fiscal year 2007 Intelligence spending was reported to be over $43 billion dollars. Next year the fiscal 2009 budget will only increase this spending.
I know Al Qaeda led by Osama Bin Ladin is our enemy but all this spending hasn’t brought us any closer to winning the war on terror (insert WWII time line analogy).
In a related story, The Supreme Court is to rule on whether the U.S. Navy should be allowed to train using sonar in certain areas off the California coast populated with marine mammals. A New York Times article quoted the governments use of terms like “ongoing hostilities”, “emergency circumstances” and “simultaneous air, surface and undersea warfare”. Does Al Qaeda have submarines? I mean really -“simultaneous air, surface and undersea warfare”? Maybe I’m just naïve.
Posted on June 23, 2008
the lemon song
“You are trapped in time, make peace and live in the now”.
This is a little sign that hangs on the wall next to my computer. It’s similar to what I used to say to the kids when they “couldn’t wait ‘til their birthdays”. If you can’t wait, what’s your alternative? (That’s the trapped in time part.)
Zen-osophically, this brings up the discussion of detachment vs. un-attachment — detachment being a form of denial, un-attachment relating to acceptance (the making peace part). What spurred this comment on acceptance? While shopping in the produce section of the supermarket on Saturday, there stood a sign that read “Lemons-99 cents each” ( one lemon for a dollar), which led me to chant under my breath, “You are trapped in time, make peace and live in the now”. Honestly, living in the now is getting more and more expensive.
And now I hear the master’s voice from an old Zen story, “Why do you still carry the lemons?” Why indeed?
