Just to let people know, I do my absolute best to check copyright status and honor the status when I post photos initially but can/perhaps should start checking to see if I looked at something cross-eyed or if the copyright status has changed from the intiial post.
We are now too much of a "me only" society. The concern and care for others is no longer the same. THis is why people can actually damage something they borrow and not feel ashamed at all. Some do not even know that they have to return.
A 3rd party doing the lending and sharing may be better accepted. Say like a non profit.
Ideas like yours may make tremendous changes in society, but mankind will prefer to be left alone to waste.
This photo is copyrighted from my flickr account. There was no verification of permission to use this photo. Please remove it from your website this instant!
It's the convenience, the fact that no one actually cares as much about YOUR STUFF, as you care about it, it's the fact that there's always ONE person amongst several that messes the sharin' up for everybody - Like many have mentioned, it usually comes back NOT in its original condition or it doesn't come back at all...
BUT... I can't completely put it down, when I lived in Australia, after I finally got rid of my last flatmate(THANK GOD), I moved into a place by myself... like the guy in that Twilight episode, I remembered shouting, 'ALONE AT LAST... FINALLY, TIME ENOUGH AT LAST'--
After a couple of months of alone, it started to not quite be what I wanted it to be... save that fact that a neighborhood cat, liked to come and sit on the ledge of my open window, which turned from annoyance to well... yeah, it actually was ok... I complained, but that was me being contrary.
Then one day, my upstairs neighbor actually came down... and she needed to borrow a cup of milk - in all my time and years of living in apartments in the states I never had a neighbor come and ask me to borrow anything -- I thought, hey... this is kind of cool, people still do this -- and we got a chance to chat and lo and behold that cat belonged to her and his name was 'Tink'-- by this time he was spending most of his evenings lounging in my window sill and probably getting quite fat on the two meals he was partaking of -- so at the very least, daring to share might cost you a cup of milk ... but who knows you might get a lazy Saturday afternoon chat and tea ... and even a cat out of the deal.
Records, records, records. Phone conversations you had with service advisers, detailed notes of anything a mechanic told you, EVERYTHING you can possibly imagine. I sued VW under the Lemon Law back in the 1990's and they denied everything right up until just hours before we headed to court - then all of a sudden they took the car, paid all my lawyers fees, and gave me back my purchase price. But it took nearly 1.5 years to get to that point, and at first they said there was nothing wrong, then they started giving me offers like "we will give you $5000 but we get the car"...well, where would that have left me?
All I can say is keep every piece of paper you thought you did not need, and it will make your life easier. As for "you are likely entitled to a refund or replacement car from the manufacturer" - though we might be entitled, they don't just give us new cars or our money back. It's a big fight!
I talk about the quantity of yeast in comment #16.
The kind of yeast determines how much sugar to add. The quantities of sugar in recipe I have assume you're using ordinary bakers yeast. If you use champaign yeast, you can use more sugar. The ratio of the increase in sugar matches the ratio of increase in the alcohol production, so if grocery store yeast can give you 10% alcohol but fancy yeast gives you 16% alcohol, you can use a bit more than half again as much sugar.
I talk about temperature of fermentation in comment #30.
I would love to share the Garbage bill with my neighbors but the City will have NOTHING to do with it and has it set up so that you CAN'T.
I have a "hobo" as they call it that is about 1 cubic yard in size that is emptied twice a week.
I'd be lucky if I generated that much trash in a month let alone the 8 they expect...same goes for the nice old couple next door.
Can I cancel the Garbage or use theirs or vice-versa??
NO WAY!!!! I would have to have my Water shut off as well to stop the Garbage...though they are separate items on the monthly bill stopping one stops the other.
And to top it off the County (to combat "illegal dumping"...lower the landfill fees to stop that IDIOTS!!) passed an ordnace some years ago that mandated garbage collection for all occupied dwellings and businesses.
Stop the Garbage and get a notice slapped on the door from the Government saying you have to Move Out as the house is "No Longer Fit For Human Habitation" per code.
thank you, this site has been more help to me than any other iv found. i have also heard that using corn meal makes a better product. i read 2.lbs of sugar per pound of corn meal but it never said how much yeast to use. if this is true do i have to use a special kind of yeast other than the turbo or champaign yeast and do i just let it fermint in a container with out heating it?
Didn't Ben Franklin say that the best way to make a friend is to borrow a book from him?
We need to maintain these vital ties - of giving someone a ride, sharing a lawn mower or snowblower - so we have a sense that we are in this together.
The other downside of not sharing is that people think anything is a communal area is up for grabs. The gardeners at my apartment complex are always digging up plants I put there - or suddenly the lawn chairs and little tables disappear! I out fox them by only putting recycled stuff out there, so I am not too attached to it! (& my husband didn't understand why I hauled the used plastic chairs home!) You find that a lot when dealing with people who think you are "rich" in comparison to them. That mentality makes it easy to steal....
I was one of those who felt ashamed if I had to borrow something from someone else. It didn't fit in with my perception of what it means to be an adult and take care of your own family.
However, after having to live with my parents for a year after the birth of my 2nd son due to medical and financial troubles, my husband and I soon got over it. We got along so well, that we moved into their home permanently, and they built a new house next door. We share a water bill, trips to town, sundries like bulk laundry soap and paper goods, and big items (pick-up truck, commerical lawn mower, chain saws, etc.) If we have something they need, we lend it. If they have something we need, we borrow it. We also share labor on projects, and eat many of our meals together (Sundays especially.)
It's great for the obvious financial reasons, but it's also more than that..
My kids get to know their grandparents the way that kids used to know their extended families when they all lived together on farms. I get a relationship with my parents that I didn't really have growing up. We have more things together than we ever could apart. We show grace to each other if something gets broken and we always take the opportunity to make things right.
Many lessons (tough ones, albeit) can be learned living this way!
Thank you Philip for reminding us why we do what we do and reassuring me that we aren't freakish for doing so!
You wrote "the price of corn rose considerably" and then went to change it to "the price of corn has risen considerably" and got distracted halfway through? It happens.
As you say, those of us who live in developed countries are so wealthy that we can afford to just buy everything we need. It's more convenient than sharing, and we can afford it, so why not? And yet, a bit of neighborliness would go a long way to making us all better off.
@Joey:
What a great story! It's just what I'm talking about.
You have a great article on your blog about this topic! I especially like you points about talking about your own finances as a way to break the ice, as well as putting together a list of important people in your parents' life who can be notified on their behalf if necessary.
We felt this exact same way. After having lawnmower troubles for 2 straight summers, and sheepishly asking our neighbors if we could use their lawnmower yet again, we thought, "Wouldn't it be great if we just had an agreement with a neighbor who was willing to share with us?" It wasn't just about the lawnmower either. We have a garage and house full of stuff that we use only once in a while. But it seemed that every time we had a project to do, we needed something we didn't have. We didn't want to keep spending money and space on stuff we'd only use once, and if our garage and house were any indication, there were other people in our neighborhood who may very well have the thing we needed... and feel the same way.
And so was born West Side Neighborhood Share, just last spring. We photocopied a letter from us explaining the program, a sample list of ideas, and a form to fill out, and stuck them in the doors of the people in our neighborhood. The form included a space for things they'd share, things they'd be willing to trade, and things they might want to borrow or get for trade. Then I photocopied the forms that came back and distributed the "list books" to all of the people that had turned in their list. We said we'd reinvite people 2 times per year and put out a new list book, so the lists could be seasonal, and so that if someone no longer wanted to participate they had a way out of the list book.
So what were people willing to share? The lists astonished us. They included lawnmowers, storage space, tools, a chipper, games, professional landscaping and construction advice, babysitting, small kitchen appliances, tomato starts, perennial divisions, manual labor, horseback riding lessons, pet sitting, use of a darkroom, snow sports equipment, canoes, a truck, a trailer, magazines and newspapers (after the subscription holder had read them), luggage, knitting instruction, and much, much more.
We invest time and a little money for copies, but it pays off because we no longer have to buy items for one time use. And the other, possibly more important, payoff is meeting our neighbors of all ages and actually building community in our neighborhood.
we live in a time when consumerism rules. you're right, we CAN afford to buy so many more things now. why borrow a book when it's only $10 on amazon.com? in the old days, it was probably more of a necessity. families didn't have credit cards to buy things they couldn't afford right then and there. technology has also made everything so impersonal. we keep our doors locked and eye our neighbors with suspicion, but we open our lives to strangers online everyday. it's all very strange, and i too would like to bring back a little neighborly friendliness and sharing.
An original article. How refreshing. It is weird to borrow from neighbors but it can develop over time. It helps to stay in one place for a while-moving every one or two years is not conducive to developing a borrowing relationship with neighbors. I have a neighbor that asks me to watch her cats when she has to stay overnight somewhere for work and in return I borrow her stepstool/ladder from time to time. I could buy my own, but the only time I need to use it is when I need to go in to the attic maybe 6 times a year for holiday decorations that I keep up there. This neighbor also knows she can call me if she gets sick etc. to help out. I borrowed a couple cups of sugar from another neighbor on thanksgiving day (!) because I didn't want to have to run to the store again. I returned the sugar a few days later and hope that my neighbors will feel free to ask me for something sometime. It really does make you feel close to neighbors when you are helping each other out. In the case of a natural disaster, neighbors looking out for each other probably have a better chance of survival.
Very appropriate article for today's time. Now we are back at a time when we realize that the earth's resources are finite and may not be able to sustain our growing needs. This is the earth's way of telling us to cut back on your extravagance and share the limited resources. Even if we carpool to work everyday, it will help immensely in reducing our carbon footprint and preventing global warming.
I don't understand the concept of "never dreaming" to ask to borrow something.
There's always some tool needed or some odd doohickey with things like home renovations or even day to day upkeep that's not used often enough to warrant a purchase in my book. Do you rent or buy these things?
What do you with them once the intended activity is over?
Ah. Thought so. Buy it and add to the clutter. Not for me.
I'm with the folks above, great if you can do the borrowing/lending thing with folks who feel exactly like you do. My own experience is that when I have agreed to lend something to a neighbor or a family member, it comes back in bad shape or not at all; I've had to walk over or call and ask for my "thing" back - good snow shovel, vacuum cleaner, lawn mower, good cookware. Tacky, tacky, tacky. To be honest, I'd personally never dream of asking anybody if I could borrow anything. I plan ahead and have one of my own or do without, period. Guess my mother is the only exception to this (she thinks like I do) but again, I would just rather have one of my own if I truly need it.
On a practical level, I totally agree--a culture of sharing is economically and socially beneficial. But on a philosophical level, you have to be careful not to harbor a Disney themepark image of the proverbial "village." I've lived in 3rd world villages and close-knit neighborhoods, and there's a dark side to being close to your neighbors, including some of the ugliest and most bitter feuds I've ever seen over cooperative sharing arrangements (work, tools, cooperative credit circles) gone awry.
Sharing cell phone plans is a good option too, especially if you know a friend or family member who gets their cell plan through work and you can add a line for like $10 a month. I do this with my dad, he gets a free plan through work, I pay the $10 a month to add on and $5 for unlimited texting. Most plans have unlimited nights and weekends now so going over isn't a big issue for us.
My husband and I love to have friends over, but we're on a tight budget. Our solution is a bi-weekly "Waffle Night"--we make homemade waffles, ask friends to bring toppings or juice, and thus can serve about 16 people for about $7!
Done guest -- and my sincerest apologies.
Just to let people know, I do my absolute best to check copyright status and honor the status when I post photos initially but can/perhaps should start checking to see if I looked at something cross-eyed or if the copyright status has changed from the intiial post.
Great topic.
We are now too much of a "me only" society. The concern and care for others is no longer the same. THis is why people can actually damage something they borrow and not feel ashamed at all. Some do not even know that they have to return.
A 3rd party doing the lending and sharing may be better accepted. Say like a non profit.
Ideas like yours may make tremendous changes in society, but mankind will prefer to be left alone to waste.
yes - thanks for saying that. I totally agree (sadly)
I have just found out that we may have a lemon on our hands. A used car purchase.
So my possibly painful journey is just beginning.
Sigh!
This photo is copyrighted from my flickr account. There was no verification of permission to use this photo. Please remove it from your website this instant!
It's the convenience, the fact that no one actually cares as much about YOUR STUFF, as you care about it, it's the fact that there's always ONE person amongst several that messes the sharin' up for everybody - Like many have mentioned, it usually comes back NOT in its original condition or it doesn't come back at all...
BUT... I can't completely put it down, when I lived in Australia, after I finally got rid of my last flatmate(THANK GOD), I moved into a place by myself... like the guy in that Twilight episode, I remembered shouting, 'ALONE AT LAST... FINALLY, TIME ENOUGH AT LAST'--
After a couple of months of alone, it started to not quite be what I wanted it to be... save that fact that a neighborhood cat, liked to come and sit on the ledge of my open window, which turned from annoyance to well... yeah, it actually was ok... I complained, but that was me being contrary.
Then one day, my upstairs neighbor actually came down... and she needed to borrow a cup of milk - in all my time and years of living in apartments in the states I never had a neighbor come and ask me to borrow anything -- I thought, hey... this is kind of cool, people still do this -- and we got a chance to chat and lo and behold that cat belonged to her and his name was 'Tink'-- by this time he was spending most of his evenings lounging in my window sill and probably getting quite fat on the two meals he was partaking of -- so at the very least, daring to share might cost you a cup of milk ... but who knows you might get a lazy Saturday afternoon chat and tea ... and even a cat out of the deal.
Records, records, records. Phone conversations you had with service advisers, detailed notes of anything a mechanic told you, EVERYTHING you can possibly imagine. I sued VW under the Lemon Law back in the 1990's and they denied everything right up until just hours before we headed to court - then all of a sudden they took the car, paid all my lawyers fees, and gave me back my purchase price. But it took nearly 1.5 years to get to that point, and at first they said there was nothing wrong, then they started giving me offers like "we will give you $5000 but we get the car"...well, where would that have left me?
All I can say is keep every piece of paper you thought you did not need, and it will make your life easier. As for "you are likely entitled to a refund or replacement car from the manufacturer" - though we might be entitled, they don't just give us new cars or our money back. It's a big fight!
I talk about the quantity of yeast in comment #16.
The kind of yeast determines how much sugar to add. The quantities of sugar in recipe I have assume you're using ordinary bakers yeast. If you use champaign yeast, you can use more sugar. The ratio of the increase in sugar matches the ratio of increase in the alcohol production, so if grocery store yeast can give you 10% alcohol but fancy yeast gives you 16% alcohol, you can use a bit more than half again as much sugar.
I talk about temperature of fermentation in comment #30.
I would love to share the Garbage bill with my neighbors but the City will have NOTHING to do with it and has it set up so that you CAN'T.
I have a "hobo" as they call it that is about 1 cubic yard in size that is emptied twice a week.
I'd be lucky if I generated that much trash in a month let alone the 8 they expect...same goes for the nice old couple next door.
Can I cancel the Garbage or use theirs or vice-versa??
NO WAY!!!! I would have to have my Water shut off as well to stop the Garbage...though they are separate items on the monthly bill stopping one stops the other.
And to top it off the County (to combat "illegal dumping"...lower the landfill fees to stop that IDIOTS!!) passed an ordnace some years ago that mandated garbage collection for all occupied dwellings and businesses.
Stop the Garbage and get a notice slapped on the door from the Government saying you have to Move Out as the house is "No Longer Fit For Human Habitation" per code.
PITA..
~ Roland
All writers make mistakes. It is a bit harsh to throw words like "idiot" around just based on one mistake. We prefer crusty-brained or half-baked.
We do appreciate corrections. Thanks for pointing it out. But a little TLC goes a long way. =)
thank you, this site has been more help to me than any other iv found. i have also heard that using corn meal makes a better product. i read 2.lbs of sugar per pound of corn meal but it never said how much yeast to use. if this is true do i have to use a special kind of yeast other than the turbo or champaign yeast and do i just let it fermint in a container with out heating it?
Didn't Ben Franklin say that the best way to make a friend is to borrow a book from him?
We need to maintain these vital ties - of giving someone a ride, sharing a lawn mower or snowblower - so we have a sense that we are in this together.
The other downside of not sharing is that people think anything is a communal area is up for grabs. The gardeners at my apartment complex are always digging up plants I put there - or suddenly the lawn chairs and little tables disappear! I out fox them by only putting recycled stuff out there, so I am not too attached to it! (& my husband didn't understand why I hauled the used plastic chairs home!) You find that a lot when dealing with people who think you are "rich" in comparison to them. That mentality makes it easy to steal....
I was one of those who felt ashamed if I had to borrow something from someone else. It didn't fit in with my perception of what it means to be an adult and take care of your own family.
However, after having to live with my parents for a year after the birth of my 2nd son due to medical and financial troubles, my husband and I soon got over it. We got along so well, that we moved into their home permanently, and they built a new house next door. We share a water bill, trips to town, sundries like bulk laundry soap and paper goods, and big items (pick-up truck, commerical lawn mower, chain saws, etc.) If we have something they need, we lend it. If they have something we need, we borrow it. We also share labor on projects, and eat many of our meals together (Sundays especially.)
It's great for the obvious financial reasons, but it's also more than that..
My kids get to know their grandparents the way that kids used to know their extended families when they all lived together on farms. I get a relationship with my parents that I didn't really have growing up. We have more things together than we ever could apart. We show grace to each other if something gets broken and we always take the opportunity to make things right.
Many lessons (tough ones, albeit) can be learned living this way!
Thank you Philip for reminding us why we do what we do and reassuring me that we aren't freakish for doing so!
Hm. I can kind of see how the typo happened.
You wrote "the price of corn rose considerably" and then went to change it to "the price of corn has risen considerably" and got distracted halfway through? It happens.
@Lynn:
As you say, those of us who live in developed countries are so wealthy that we can afford to just buy everything we need. It's more convenient than sharing, and we can afford it, so why not? And yet, a bit of neighborliness would go a long way to making us all better off.
@Joey:
What a great story! It's just what I'm talking about.
You have a great article on your blog about this topic! I especially like you points about talking about your own finances as a way to break the ice, as well as putting together a list of important people in your parents' life who can be notified on their behalf if necessary.
Thanks for the comment!
We felt this exact same way. After having lawnmower troubles for 2 straight summers, and sheepishly asking our neighbors if we could use their lawnmower yet again, we thought, "Wouldn't it be great if we just had an agreement with a neighbor who was willing to share with us?" It wasn't just about the lawnmower either. We have a garage and house full of stuff that we use only once in a while. But it seemed that every time we had a project to do, we needed something we didn't have. We didn't want to keep spending money and space on stuff we'd only use once, and if our garage and house were any indication, there were other people in our neighborhood who may very well have the thing we needed... and feel the same way.
And so was born West Side Neighborhood Share, just last spring. We photocopied a letter from us explaining the program, a sample list of ideas, and a form to fill out, and stuck them in the doors of the people in our neighborhood. The form included a space for things they'd share, things they'd be willing to trade, and things they might want to borrow or get for trade. Then I photocopied the forms that came back and distributed the "list books" to all of the people that had turned in their list. We said we'd reinvite people 2 times per year and put out a new list book, so the lists could be seasonal, and so that if someone no longer wanted to participate they had a way out of the list book.
So what were people willing to share? The lists astonished us. They included lawnmowers, storage space, tools, a chipper, games, professional landscaping and construction advice, babysitting, small kitchen appliances, tomato starts, perennial divisions, manual labor, horseback riding lessons, pet sitting, use of a darkroom, snow sports equipment, canoes, a truck, a trailer, magazines and newspapers (after the subscription holder had read them), luggage, knitting instruction, and much, much more.
We invest time and a little money for copies, but it pays off because we no longer have to buy items for one time use. And the other, possibly more important, payoff is meeting our neighbors of all ages and actually building community in our neighborhood.
we live in a time when consumerism rules. you're right, we CAN afford to buy so many more things now. why borrow a book when it's only $10 on amazon.com? in the old days, it was probably more of a necessity. families didn't have credit cards to buy things they couldn't afford right then and there. technology has also made everything so impersonal. we keep our doors locked and eye our neighbors with suspicion, but we open our lives to strangers online everyday. it's all very strange, and i too would like to bring back a little neighborly friendliness and sharing.
An original article. How refreshing. It is weird to borrow from neighbors but it can develop over time. It helps to stay in one place for a while-moving every one or two years is not conducive to developing a borrowing relationship with neighbors. I have a neighbor that asks me to watch her cats when she has to stay overnight somewhere for work and in return I borrow her stepstool/ladder from time to time. I could buy my own, but the only time I need to use it is when I need to go in to the attic maybe 6 times a year for holiday decorations that I keep up there. This neighbor also knows she can call me if she gets sick etc. to help out. I borrowed a couple cups of sugar from another neighbor on thanksgiving day (!) because I didn't want to have to run to the store again. I returned the sugar a few days later and hope that my neighbors will feel free to ask me for something sometime. It really does make you feel close to neighbors when you are helping each other out. In the case of a natural disaster, neighbors looking out for each other probably have a better chance of survival.
Very appropriate article for today's time. Now we are back at a time when we realize that the earth's resources are finite and may not be able to sustain our growing needs. This is the earth's way of telling us to cut back on your extravagance and share the limited resources. Even if we carpool to work everyday, it will help immensely in reducing our carbon footprint and preventing global warming.
Thanks for writing this!!
------------------------
My Positivity Blog http://positivityhub.com/
I don't understand the concept of "never dreaming" to ask to borrow something.
There's always some tool needed or some odd doohickey with things like home renovations or even day to day upkeep that's not used often enough to warrant a purchase in my book. Do you rent or buy these things?
What do you with them once the intended activity is over?
Ah. Thought so. Buy it and add to the clutter. Not for me.
I'm with the folks above, great if you can do the borrowing/lending thing with folks who feel exactly like you do. My own experience is that when I have agreed to lend something to a neighbor or a family member, it comes back in bad shape or not at all; I've had to walk over or call and ask for my "thing" back - good snow shovel, vacuum cleaner, lawn mower, good cookware. Tacky, tacky, tacky. To be honest, I'd personally never dream of asking anybody if I could borrow anything. I plan ahead and have one of my own or do without, period. Guess my mother is the only exception to this (she thinks like I do) but again, I would just rather have one of my own if I truly need it.
On a practical level, I totally agree--a culture of sharing is economically and socially beneficial. But on a philosophical level, you have to be careful not to harbor a Disney themepark image of the proverbial "village." I've lived in 3rd world villages and close-knit neighborhoods, and there's a dark side to being close to your neighbors, including some of the ugliest and most bitter feuds I've ever seen over cooperative sharing arrangements (work, tools, cooperative credit circles) gone awry.
Sharing cell phone plans is a good option too, especially if you know a friend or family member who gets their cell plan through work and you can add a line for like $10 a month. I do this with my dad, he gets a free plan through work, I pay the $10 a month to add on and $5 for unlimited texting. Most plans have unlimited nights and weekends now so going over isn't a big issue for us.
My husband and I love to have friends over, but we're on a tight budget. Our solution is a bi-weekly "Waffle Night"--we make homemade waffles, ask friends to bring toppings or juice, and thus can serve about 16 people for about $7!