A Time Before Microwave Ovens

[Bettie]

A friend of mine has recently started blogging and I thought this was an interesting way of looking at what our country has become.


Reposted from dumfukistan.com with permission from Grolph...

A time before microwave ovens.
Posted on November 6, 2010 by Grolph
I am almost fifty years old. I can remember a time when there wasn’t a microwave oven in every kitchen or break room. That means that there is a significant population that has never lived without microwave ovens.

Microwave ovens meant the end of having to know how to cook. Microwave ovens meant that you no longer had to plan before making a hot meal. Microwave ovens introduced us to instant gratification. We have become a microwave country.

We want results and we want them now. We are no longer willing to wait for long term, stable, corporate profits. We want profits and dividends NOW without regard for long term success.

We want to drive huge cushy vehicles NOW without regard for the long term effect on the environment.

We want our elected officials to fix all the errors of the past three decades NOW without regard for the amount of time it took to sink into the current quagmire.

We want a more successful and sexy partner NOW without consideration for the fact that we were the ones that wore them out and drove them to drink in the first place. (You didn’t really drive them to drink; they chose to drink because you are an asshole.)

In our quest for instant gratification we now have remote start for our vehicles so we don’t have to sit in a cold car in the near future.*

We already want a toned and healthy body without having to exercise and a successful career before we start working. If we keep on this path we will demand dividends before we make investments and orgasms before we have sex.

Progress and sane solutions take time, the same way that making bread takes time. Give our representatives some time and support before you decide to teach them a lesson and turn the government over to people as impatient as your children.
There is truth to the addage, “Good things come to those who also wait.”

*I feel so sad for you; you might have to sit in a cold car for three minutes as you start driving. And don’t tell me that you have to warm up the engine before you start driving it. The auto manufacturers say that current cars do not have the same requirements as the used cars we drove when we were in High School. Yes, you should try to let the engine come up to temperature to make sure that condensation is driven out of the oil. An engine warms up fastest when under load, not when sitting in the driveway waiting for you to put your soft ass in the driver’s seat.

http://www.dumfukistan.com/?p=49

(edited because I forgot the "g" in blogging)

[texastoast]

1. "they chose to drink because you are an asshole"

:toast:

No truer words . . .

[DavidDvorkin]

2. And you kids stay off my lawn

What a load of the-world-is-going-to-the-dogs nonsense.

[Bluerthanblue]

6. I didn't get that from it at all- what I got was a reminder

(admittedly snarky in places) that our society is in need of some real self-reflection. We ARE harming ourselves with this impatient, self-centered demand for instant gratification. We ignore this not only at our peril, but at the peril of all who share this planet.

:hi:

[DavidDvorkin]

12. It's a very familiar rant

I've seen it many times over the decades. It always boils down to the same thing: The world is going to the dogs, young people today, when I was young, etc.

[Bluerthanblue]

18. well, by that token, everything we say is a 'familiar rant' to someone-

My pet peeve is the notion that violence is the answer to violence. We see how well that has worked eh? But until that day comes when people DO reject the use of violence and force to push their wishes on others we are condemned to a world controlled and manipulated by violence.

And, if we don't look around ourselves with a critical eye and try and understand why we are where we are- and find the reasons we've gotten to where we are, we have no hope of learning and correcting past mistakes.

We HAVE traded away many, many positive, important, essential things for the sake of "instant satisfaction" - When we 'streamline' production we eliminate the need for people to 'do' what machines or 'outsourced labor' now do- and then we wonder why unemployment is so high. We make throw-away everything, and can't understand or excuse the effects this is having on our world's resources.

The energy and time and effort that we invest in life gives us meaning and satisfaction that is really lacking today imo. Listening to some of the tea party faithful who spend their days driving around in their RV's attending this rally or that- angrily demanding the plan to "take my country back" makes me wonder if they do this in part, because they have little else to occupy their life. :shrug:

Life IS a journey- not a destination. I know that's cliche, but that doesn't make it not true. Humankind has evolved- but in many ways we have still missed out on learning some of the most important lessons that we need to learn. Like how to share, be patient, to open our minds up to other perspectives, to not let fear or anger control us.

This is just another 'familiar rant'- but so is life on earth. imo- We do all have a choice to stop and question accepted 'reality'- wisdom sometimes does come from experience and reflection, but then again sometimes so does resignation and the decision to accept what is as 'inevitable'.

peace~

[Grolph]

8. I'm sorry, thanks for reminding me!!

GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN!

[dionysus]

24. ROFL Nice article!

:thumbsup:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. +1

[Brickbat]

3. A good message lost in some foot-stomping.

[Bluerthanblue]

4. wow.... this is excellent-

happy to K&R.

I'd been thinking something along the same lines lately- thinking about "drive-thru" "fast-food" "instant"tan/potato/rice/credit/photo/everything" mentality, and how this has in many ways diminished our lives. Groth speaks this so well and succinctly-

thanks for sharing it.

:hi:

[GoCubsGo]

5. Thank you for posting that.

And, thanks for pointing me to that blog. I love it!

[glowing]

7. Screw that.. I used to bribe my sister into starting my car so I wouldn't have to

go out twice in the cold.. (winter in VT is brutal man).. and now I'm in FL whining about a 55 degree day LOL... Anyway, my first care was an old Honda Accord.. nearly as old as me.. stick shift, with one blue door... cost $300.00. That car was later turned over to my sister when I got a re-furbished Jetta that my Uncle and Dad pieced back together for college usage.

As far as the microwave goes; I hate the thing. It disgusts me. On the otherside of the coin, I work a lot of hours and my husband works a lot of hours.. So, baking bread and making pies are a "holiday" event. I try to always cook (but like today: I'm working 16hrs.. there will either be a microwave or fastfood in my diet today)...

Running around in circles for our corporate overlords that change the rules and the game faster and faster everyday. At some point we need to stop looking at the imaginary lines on a map, drop the Nationalistic fervor, and work worldwide for human rights. Then maybe we can enjoy freshly made bread.

[femrap]

15. I'm so sorry you have to work such

long hours. Sometimes, I make up a huge amount of something...my last was zucchini lasagna. I cut it up and wrap in individual aluminum foil packages and freeze. Then defrost in the morning and heat up at night with a salad....which I make 3 at a time. And they last 3 days in the fridge...that's 'real' romaine not bagged. But bagged can do...just add your favorite veggies....I use onion, radishes, celery.

And a slow-cooking crock pot can be your best friend....easy and can be very good for you.

And last might I add: I fucking hate corporations. All the workers of the world unite and strike!

And cold winters...shit. I now have Raynaud's Disease...I use foot warmers in my boots during the winter. What is hard is NO GARAGE....the hard part is getting all the snow/ice off the car. I am thankful for those little wires in the back windshield.

Take care...:hug:

[glowing]

20. Thanks.. At least I know where the enemies are.. and try to stay away from them

as much as I can.. or use them.. but the Nationalisitc tone needs to die down.. AND I think it is along with the older generation. When I can literally talk to a person via the the internet on the other side of the world and can hear what they think and do and ideas; it erases this hard core idea of a wall of separation.

Yes!! all workers around the world do need to unite. Its the only way to stop the race to the bottom and the destruction of the planet.

[femrap]

21. Nationalism....

what a tool that TPTB use on the masses. Well....hate to tell the masses but USA is #22! Not #1 anymore.

I've read about workers in China starting to unite and demanding raises. That's encouraging to me.

I don't know if we have already passed the tipping point on our planet's health. It may be too late...I hope I am wrong.

[femrap]

9. Thank you for this....

There are people here that leave their fucking cars running while they go into the store. They lock it so I can't turn off the motor.

How much fuel that wastes!!! And how much more air pollution???? Yes, I live in dumfukistan!!!! It used to be called Ohio.

Just one story....I used to work at horrid Safelite Glass Central Sales office (the worst place I have ever worked!!! Women had to have their ankles covered and no sandals....boss must have had a real foot fetish). Anyway, this young woman and her husband were all upset because their baby is reaching the age where he must eat 'real food.' They have no idea what to fix him since they live on frozen pizzas from the microwave!!! I just sat there with my mouth agape.

Ever heard of google, a library, a book store???? Her face was covered with extreme acne. She was obese. Now I know why.

[Bettie]

13. Wow...that boss sounds freaky...

Being tempted by the ankles of his female workers! Now, if there was sheet glass involved I could see the open toed shoes thing, no one wants to get their toes sliced off at work!

I'm continually amazed by how many people don't know how to cook anymore.

[femrap]

16. I was in the Sale Office.....

not a piece of glass around. This boss was a total Nazi....a perverted one. He never spoke to any of the 'little people'....just the managers.

I got fired....of course.

From reading this thread it seems that some people like to annoy the older folks by walking on their lawns. Shit, I remember 'Stay off the Grass' signs. And these folks are going to pay my Social Security....:rofl: The 50+ are screwed. I wonder if they litter as well...when I see someone litter, I yell, 'Hey, you dropped something.' And if they don't pick it up, I do and take it to them. If they get snitty, I ask them if they wipe their own asshole after they take a dump.

Then I hurry off! I'm going to get shot in the back someday. At least I won't see it coming! :evilgrin:

[canoeist52]

10. Microwave ovens have allowed families to save money.

Eating leftover became easier with the advent of microwaves. Eating leftovers is the cheapest way to eat.

More than half our meals are from leftovers.

[Bettie]

14. I heat my leftovers on the stove or in the oven

I have a microwave, but I pretty much use it to steam veggies or heat water or milk for cocoa.

But, yes, you are right that eating leftovers is easier with the 'wave.

[Odin2005]

17. "GET OFF MY LAWN!!!"

:eyes:

[Codeine]

19. Proof that even liberals become stupid, cranky, bitchy old people.

"Back in my day we had a little something called PATIENCE!" Blah blah blah. . .

[LeftishBrit]

22. Fings aint wot they used to be - (but they never were).

30 years ago, people voted for Reagan and Thatcher who also offered deceptively quick and simple solutions to problems. Not much 'waiting for progress and sane solutions' there.

And a generation or so before that, many were tempted by the ultimate instant solution of totalitarianism. Yes, lots of people weren't given much of a choice by the dictatorships; but let's not forget that Hitler won an election and was initially supported by many people.

The strongest conclusion that one can draw is that people have always tended to go for the quick fix, and that economic desperation increases the tendency.

(My post heading comes from a song of 1960 by the way! Fings haven't been wot they used to be for a long time.)

[Bluerthanblue]

23. yeah they were-

:shrug:

Things WERE what they were- does that mean that all things of the past were better? No- but the notion that "progress" is ultimately 'good' or has a net positive effect on life is something I think we should ALL question - don't you?

Factory farms may feed people for little money, but are they worth the hidden costs? Are people healthier today because of them? That's one example I can think of off the top of my head. We are learning that the 'progress' we think we've made in terms of food production in this country might not be the direction we should be going. Genetically modified crops, massive "farms" (factories) marketing cheap, highly processed goods which are being consumed in quantifies that are killing us is being rethought. Local agriculture is making a come-back. So is the idea that Mc Mansions and heavy pressure to consume-consume-consume might not be the Nirvana we've been programed to think it is.

Are humans "happier" than they were? Is there less suffering and disaster in the world with all our improvements? Seems to me that many of the people who came before us looked for ways to do things that made life easier...that would give us time for leisure ... time to just LIVE but are we able to do that really?

I didn't see the "Microwave" blog as a rant about how perfect the old days were, as much as I see it as a challenge for us to look at where we are- why we are here, and if we just might be being lulled into sacrificing some of lifes fullness- the experiences which bring meaning to our existance...
...yearning/fulfillment
struggling/surviving/thriving
the joy and satisfaction that comes of simply living for this moment rather than always wanting to rush through everything towards ....what?

Isn't 'getting there' supposed to be at least half the fun? Is life the journey or the destination? Where are we all headed in such an all-fired hurry?

The OP encourages us to think about this imo.
sorry for the rant.

[Madam Mossfern]

25. While making the bed this morning

I got into the "Zen" of hospital corners.
It was so good.

Now that is really messed up, when you can only find relaxation in making a bed!

[Bluerthanblue]

26. ...

...:hi:

satisfaction can be found in many places- :) you tapped into the moment which isn't always easy :thumbsup:

[Duer 157099]

27. Eh. That's what they used to say about fire.

"Darn younguns want their meat cooked right away! Can't wait for it to rot in the sun. Spoiled brats."

[haifa lootin]

28. orgasms before sex? Coming soon to an I-phone app

:silly:


(can't believe I wrote 'coming soon')

:blush:

[angstlessk]

29. Microwaves make 30 seconds seem like a long time....n/t

[dimbear]

30. The key thing is that the despised microwave cooks your meal

with vastly less energy expenditure than your stove does. It's 2010, folks.