[dean]

Slowbrew is right that "most" of the cars back then didn't have AC and power everything, but do we really need all that?  I guess thats why cars went from a few thousand dollars to being similar to a home mortgage.       I'm happy with my 1994 Dodge Dakota 4x4, it gets anywhere between 17 and 21 mpg depending on how long since its been tuned up and yes thats whether its in 4wd or not.  It "had" air conditioning... but I'm too cheap to repair or replace those parts... I don't "need" air conditioning and everything else is manual, even the transmission which I just had to replace... $238.00 for the tranny and my nephew changed it for $70.00.  I think I'll keep it around.  I am going to buy a used car though... maybe a Lincoln or Cadillac from the mid to late 80's or early 90's... they ride Soooo Well on long drives.

I'm a heating and cooling guy... I keep everything simple as possible, no fansy thermostats etc... just what I actually "need" and it works just fine and has far less technical problems than the systems having all the bells and whistles that people seem to think they need these days.  If its hot and the box fan isn't getting it done, find a lake or river, go to the park, do something outside in the shade etc.  Its better than being in a room with Hot air blowing around.  In winter, you can always take clothes off if you need to.. so dial your thermostat back... I keep ours at 66* 

Oh that reminds me, I did the Unthinkable (at least in my mind it is/was unthinkable) but for some reason (maybe because I had just got out of the hospital and was still "medicated").  I let myself get talked into buying an "EDENPURE"... what a huge pile of SHYT that thing is... my electric bill didn't go up a measley $30 or so... it went up over $3 per day!!!  What gets me is I KNEW that would be the case... I've told people in the past not to buy them... but what did I do... got Sucker'd In.   Listen to me people... a Watt is a Watt is a Watt... it don't matter how fancy the package is or what the heating element is... it is still electric and electricity costs so much per Watt!   Do yourself a Favor... DON'T buy any of the so-called energy saving horse-shyt heaters that everybody and their brother is marketing these days, if you do, you'll reget it unless you live in a single room no larger than 300 square feet.  Seriously... don't believe all the HYPE being sold on TV and the Internet.  The old saying "there is no such thing as a Free Lunch" still holds true... at least in this country it does.

[dean]

Tubercle and others spoke about ethanol being stupid, here is yet story (proof) that it is a stupid idea but one that certainly pulled the wool over America's eyes.

Some years ago, I'm guessing it was during the last ten years, one of the discovery or expose' type documentary shows did one involving a candy store... they literally "burned" their old candy for heating fuel, it was cost effective... For Them, because it was OLD candy that would have otherwise been thrown away and it was their own byproduct so to speak... no middleman etc. just a few modifications and walla.  Maybe somebody else out there remembers that documentary or can find a link to or about it.  I'll look and if I find it I'll post it later.

I guess what amazes me is how stupid we as Americans are becoming... we give everything of value away and believe everything we are told.  Kinda like that other saying... "choke on a gnat yet swallow a camel."    

[punatic]

I had a buds kid in my car for a ride. He looked at the cranks for the windows and asked "What are these"? I told him they are for rolling the windows up and down. HE said "Thats stupid"

What do you suppose he would have thought if you had had to step on a starter button on the floor board to get the engine to turn over?

[jeffy]

I had a buds kid in my car for a ride. He looked at the cranks for the windows and asked "What are these"? I told him they are for rolling the windows up and down. HE said "Thats stupid"

What do you suppose he would have thought if you had had to step on a starter button on the floor board to get the engine to turn over?

Speaking of taking things for granted, I got into a rental car last year that didn't have electric door locks or a remote trunk opener.  What a pain to have to reach over and lock and unlock the right door or to pull out the key to open the truck.  It's amazing what you can get used to.

[euge]

My Volkswagen doesn't even have a key-lock for the hatch. It's unlocked by a switch (like the gas hatch) on driver's side door or the fob. What happens if the switch breaks and I don't have the fob? BTW the fob is about $300.

[tubercle]

I had a buds kid in my car for a ride. He looked at the cranks for the windows and asked "What are these"? I told him they are for rolling the windows up and down. HE said "Thats stupid"

What do you suppose he would have thought if you had had to step on a starter button on the floor board to get the engine to turn over?

 My Grandpa had an old Chev pickup (40 something model) that had the starter next to the gas petal. It was a trick to press the starter with your toe while pumping the gas petal with your heel. The horn button was on the end of the turn signal.

[punatic]

I find it amusing to see people using technology to communicate dislike of advances in technology.

[dean]

I find it amusing to see people using technology to communicate dislike of advances in technology.

Yeh, I like to eat too but that doesn't mean I enjoy having to take a crap.       

[euge]

I find it amusing to see people using technology to communicate dislike of advances in technology.

Yeh, I like to eat too but that doesn't mean I enjoy having to take a crap.      

Bet you will!  

BTW I am in no way shape or form a Luddite. I love technology.

[tubercle]

I find it amusing to see people using technology to communicate dislike of advances in technology.

Yeh, I like to eat too but that doesn't mean I enjoy having to take a crap.      

Bet you will!  

BTW I am in no way shape or form a Luddite. I love technology.

 Tubercle loves technology too but finds it strangely comforting when it doesn't exist. Several times when the power has been out for a week or so due to our infamous ice storms, sitting around burning kerosene lamps and picking a guitar seemed somewhat familiar. Hard to explain; Didn't really care if the power ever came back on.

 But I do love my Droid 2 phone.

[dean]

Spouting big fancy words now huh?  So I guess I gotta go lookup what a Luddite is and have to use modern technology to do it even... grrrrrrrrrrrrr.       Don't tell me... is it something like the word "Specicifity"... leave it to Georgy and his gang to stumble on a word and it ends up becoming a recognized word as a result.    Ooops... sorry if I spelled "specicifity wrong?  

I guess I kinda, sorta fit the second description of the word... only because I don't believe that just because its new means that its better.  Some things are better off left alone until they're broken and Then fix them.


World English Dictionary
Luddite  (ˈlʌdaɪt) 
 
— n   
1.  any of the textile workers opposed to mechanization who rioted and organized machine-breaking between 1811 and 1816 
2.  any opponent of industrial change or innovation 
 
— adj   
3.  of or relating to the Luddites 
 
[C19: alleged to be named after Ned Ludd,  an 18th-century Leicestershire workman, who destroyed industrial machinery] 

[tubercle]

 Tubercle had to do a research paper on the Luddites in college. It start out as one of the quick chop-job papers but the more research was done it became a fascination. It was like 5 pages was required but end up doing about 15. A kindred was felt.

[nicneufeld]

So would "Lud Zeppelin" be the acoustic B-side to LZ III?

[punatic]

I take my technology ala carte.

[phillamb168]

I wonder what percentage of under-20 drivers today can drive a stick? I'd guess in the neighborhood of 2.

or "heel-and-toeing" ,I spent years  getting my technique perfect.

Electronic stability control (ESC), ABS, Traction control system (TCS) Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC), GPS and the list goes on & on, makes you wonder how people drove without all the drivers aids

Funny story about sticks vs automatic. In France and pretty much the rest of Europe, automatic trannys are usually used by disabled people. When we asked at the Peugeot dealership about getting an automatic, the guy asked what my disability was. I told him I was an American ;-) I love driving stick, I tell ya.

Also, if you get your driver's license by driving an automatic, you don't get a full DL, just a restricted one, which is a PITA.