These projects are immensely charming, but really--how many of them actually got made? Yet, the books surely served a noble purpose of getting many a reader through a winter evening, dreaming of fabricating them.
I love these! I remember many such projects from my youth, including our customized soap box derby cars.
When I was growing up in the 50's and early 60's, my dad spent a lot of time in his garage woodshop / metalshop, making things for the family. Of course he was home from work by 5:30pm during the week, never worked weekends or holidays, and my mom was a "housewife" of the era who managed all the cooking, cleaning and raising of four boys, so he had spare time available. That changed, and by the time I was in my teens my mom had earned another degree and was working full time herself.
When I was younger (and single) I spent many hours building computers and other technological doodads, cabling my homes for computer networks, using software to design cards, wrapping papers, even short stories I did the illustrations for and bound myself for gifts, etc.
That world no longer exists. Nowadays I work 60-70 hours/week just to earn a living. and I no longer have that elusive commodity formerly known as "spare time".
I'm a tech geek and have been since the USAF decided I had a talent for "Electronic Data Processing", as computers were termed in the early 70's. I always believed that technology held nearly limitless potential for making our lives easier and more productive. I was half right.
By almost every measurement Americans are not only the most productive workers in the world today, but we are more productive than any human beings in history - much of it fueled by the growth of computer (and other) technology. Only one problem: The definition of "productivity" has changed dramatically. It used to be that a productive person balanced work, family and societal responsibilities to be considered successful. Now we are measured only by the amount of goods and service we produce. Now we work longer and harder, and the fruits of our labor are astonishing... but only when measured economically, since many of us no longer have any leisure time to speak of. We're too busy just trying to keep up.
I would love to have a DIY shop where I could putter and play and teach my children how things work, but I'm afraid that's no more than wishful thinking; a meditation based on dreams past, from a world gone by.
That ice boat does look pretty darn cool, though...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sanity is a relative concept.
If you don't believe me,
let me introduce my relatives.
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I prefer hand-made gift
I prefer hand-made gift because it contains more feelings and bonds. And it is interesting to make things by myself.
Very nice find!
You would be fun to go garage sale-ing with :-)
"Lazy-Peon" Book Ends?
Times really have changed, haven't they....
What an amazing garage sale
What an amazing garage sale find!!
Populist utopias!
These projects are immensely charming, but really--how many of them actually got made? Yet, the books surely served a noble purpose of getting many a reader through a winter evening, dreaming of fabricating them.
Spare Time?
I love these! I remember many such projects from my youth, including our customized soap box derby cars.
When I was growing up in the 50's and early 60's, my dad spent a lot of time in his garage woodshop / metalshop, making things for the family. Of course he was home from work by 5:30pm during the week, never worked weekends or holidays, and my mom was a "housewife" of the era who managed all the cooking, cleaning and raising of four boys, so he had spare time available. That changed, and by the time I was in my teens my mom had earned another degree and was working full time herself.
When I was younger (and single) I spent many hours building computers and other technological doodads, cabling my homes for computer networks, using software to design cards, wrapping papers, even short stories I did the illustrations for and bound myself for gifts, etc.
That world no longer exists. Nowadays I work 60-70 hours/week just to earn a living. and I no longer have that elusive commodity formerly known as "spare time".
I'm a tech geek and have been since the USAF decided I had a talent for "Electronic Data Processing", as computers were termed in the early 70's. I always believed that technology held nearly limitless potential for making our lives easier and more productive. I was half right.
By almost every measurement Americans are not only the most productive workers in the world today, but we are more productive than any human beings in history - much of it fueled by the growth of computer (and other) technology. Only one problem: The definition of "productivity" has changed dramatically. It used to be that a productive person balanced work, family and societal responsibilities to be considered successful. Now we are measured only by the amount of goods and service we produce. Now we work longer and harder, and the fruits of our labor are astonishing... but only when measured economically, since many of us no longer have any leisure time to speak of. We're too busy just trying to keep up.
I would love to have a DIY shop where I could putter and play and teach my children how things work, but I'm afraid that's no more than wishful thinking; a meditation based on dreams past, from a world gone by.
That ice boat does look pretty darn cool, though...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sanity is a relative concept.
If you don't believe me,
let me introduce my relatives.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -