"old technology" that's fun?

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"old technology" that's fun?

Postby everything on Wed Mar 15, 2023 2:17 pm

guess if a lot of us like tai chi, we like a 19th century (or earlier) technology, from a Yang Luchan-centric pov. it's sort of "outdated" but we enjoy it even if we don't agree about any of it. what are some other "older technology" you like mainly for fun (not utility things like refrigerators)? for example,

* some of us have talked about manual transmission, internal combustion engine cars and their specific kind of fun that is going extinct. really a 20th century tech to me (esp 90s hondas for me). EVs and so on are nice, but it's just absolutely not the same kind of user experience. this is a pity. but other kinds of old technology survive or are brought back. like...

* thinking of learning classical and spanish guitar, kind of a 15th century technology. various old, analog instruments are fun to learn even in the age of "garage band" on a mobile tablet.

* i like print books. novels first got popular in the 18th century? not sure.

* for some reason, millenials and gen Z get into vinyl in small waves. maybe they still like print comic books, too.

* slow-cooked bbq? raising chickens? knitting? fishing? (without all the digital gadgets)

what do you think you like about it if so?
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby Steve James on Wed Mar 15, 2023 5:21 pm

* i like print books. novels first got popular in the 18th century? not sure.


If you mean the English novel, yeah. Then it comes down to author and subject matter. I.e., about the time of the Great Fire, the most popular literature in England were poets like Milton (highly recommended) and Dryden. Shakespeare was printed, but most people watched the plays. The subjects of the poems and Shakespeare were noble (today's the Ides of March :)) histories, romances, and comedies about divinities (Midsummer Night's Dream), etc.

There were other works, like Pilgrim's Progress or even the Death of Arthur, but there's no agreement about them as "first novels" because ... well, is the Bible a "novel"? So, it really comes down to technical, literary definitions. However, for my money, Robinson Crusoe was what we'd recognize as a novel. First off, it's not about a king or aristocrat. In fact, Robinson is a middle class person's son who goes out to make his fortune in the slave trade. Oops, his ship sinks, and he's marooned in the Caribbean. Oh, he ends up rich anyway. But the story is all made up, copied from true stories of the period. Defoe also wrote Moll Flanders, who we might today call a hooker. She gets caught stealing, is sent to jail, but pleads that she's pregnant. So, she is transported to America. These are novels because they're fictional stories about regular people.

18th century lit was one of my favorite courses in grad school, next to medieval lit. Chaucer has some great stories.
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby origami_itto on Wed Mar 15, 2023 5:25 pm

I do woodworking for simple stuff. Cook meals with whole food from scratch most nights. We garden. I just replanted three banana trees, two pineapples, a chili pepper plant and a bell pepper plant today. At dinner with some green onions from my garden.
Chickens are on the agenda, bees are a stretch goal.
BBQ, hell yeah man I smoke the shit out of some brisket or standing rib roast, salmon, you name it.
I like to play board games with friends.
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby BruceP on Wed Mar 15, 2023 7:57 pm

everything wrote:
what do you think you like about it if so?


Already shared lots of my work here.

I have a '98 Jeep TJ that I've owned for 21 years and the only vehicle with a comparable fun factor is a vintage Beetle, albeit on different terrain. The TJ weighs 2000 lbs fully fueled and goes just about anywhere unassisted on dry or frozen ground. Highly interactive and tactile experience as an off-roader. Ugly, reliable and tough as nails.

I knit lots of items that I give away or keep for myself. As a basic skill all one needs is 2 or three sticks and just about any kind of cordage to make bags, clothing or even an inner layer for a shelter. The cordage is always salvageable if it will serve another purpose. I find it highly meditative and accords perfectly with the principles of tjq in terms of tension, posture, and free and easy movement.

Been teaching myself basket weaving the last few years using a variety of readily available materials like birch bark from old falls that have rotted out of their bark. Twigs and stalks from bullrushes are everywhere in my neck of the woods so harvesting materials is as easy as a stroll through my neighborhood.

My wife bought me some old university books on Latin prose and rhetoric about 20 years ago and I've been teaching myself for about that long. I used to practice quite a bit here at RSF by first writing what I wanted to post in short simple sentences and then translate what I wrote to latin in an expanded form, and then translate back to english following that expanded form. It seems a little clumsy now when I read those old posts from 10 or more years ago but it was never not fun. ;D Some of the later stuff holds up though.
Last edited by BruceP on Wed Mar 15, 2023 7:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby everything on Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:48 am

damn I need to be in the prepper compound with you guys when the zombie apocalypse happens, not just because of everyone's MA skills. I don't have any cool skills or pursuits like that (basket weaving and knitting would surely be handy, not to mention the hand-made weapons). Steve, your knowledge of novels will still be better than anything I know on arts. No idea what I bring to the compound lol. For gardening, I'm trying to learn to grow bamboo. Theoretically, it can be used for weapons, housing, fences, baskets, food... maybe that will be my only skill area (but I think it's mostly just nature doing its thing).
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby origami_itto on Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:09 am

everything wrote:damn I need to be in the prepper compound with you guys when the zombie apocalypse happens, not just because of everyone's MA skills. I don't have any cool skills or pursuits like that (basket weaving and knitting would surely be handy, not to mention the hand-made weapons). Steve, your knowledge of novels will still be better than anything I know on arts. No idea what I bring to the compound lol. For gardening, I'm trying to learn to grow bamboo. Theoretically, it can be used for weapons, housing, fences, baskets, food... maybe that will be my only skill area (but I think it's mostly just nature doing its thing).


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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby everything on Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:45 am

lolol I don't like the sound of that haha
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby BruceP on Tue Mar 21, 2023 11:45 am

everything wrote:damn I need to be in the prepper compound with you guys when the zombie apocalypse happens,...


There'd be no "you guys" in such a scenario as that.

You'd have to make a choice ;) 'cause I'd not be involved with anyone who needs drugs to keep their brain from malfunctioning, or to mitigate their constant state of malfunction - nor would anyone with even a pinch of common sense
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby everything on Tue Mar 21, 2023 12:42 pm

very good point. not sure who needs those drugs, but tough one if so. seems like learning to make shelter, and a bow and arrow by hand is a great idea. started to learn to sew using a machine (nicely practical skill - requires a machine and electricity - not ideal for the zombie scenario).
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby BruceP on Tue Mar 21, 2023 12:53 pm

everything wrote:started to learn to sew using a machine (nicely practical skill - requires a machine and electricity - not ideal for the zombie scenario).


Awesome! Wish I had a sewing machine. I've tried my wife's a few times a long time ago, but couldn't coordinate feed speed with the throttle/rheostat pedal thingy without having a runaway or a pile-up of some sort.

My mom had a treadle powered Singer when I was a kid and she made some incredibly nice things with it. Too bad a manufacturer doesn't bring them back as a green alternative.
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby everything on Tue Mar 21, 2023 5:24 pm

I remember my mom could make some stuff way back when. wouldn't say I can actually make anything, but just repairing/altering stuff is surprisingly satisfying. and good for "self defense". only my crazy good (not at all) bagua stepping method was preventing me from tripping on some too long PJ legs. not any more, lol.

had to look it up - looks like Singer invented the modern version of the machine way back in 1851. the first ones were invented before that, and tailors burnt down a factory making uniforms for the French army. "technology is taking our jobs!" goes way back.
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby origami_itto on Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:11 am

BruceP wrote:
everything wrote:damn I need to be in the prepper compound with you guys when the zombie apocalypse happens,...


There'd be no "you guys" in such a scenario as that.

You'd have to make a choice ;) 'cause I'd not be involved with anyone who needs drugs to keep their brain from malfunctioning, or to mitigate their constant state of malfunction - nor would anyone with even a pinch of common sense


Fine then, I'll start my OWN compound...
With BlackJack...
and hookers...
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby everything on Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:34 pm

the drugs, blackjack, and hookers compound definitely sounds more interesting. not sure about survival odds
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby origami_itto on Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:27 pm

everything wrote:the drugs, blackjack, and hookers compound definitely sounds more interesting. not sure about survival odds

The west was settled by brothels and that's a fact.

https://youtu.be/fMycRBIXTWk
Last edited by origami_itto on Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: "old technology" that's fun?

Postby everything on Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:58 pm

"come here for the taijiquan rants, stay for the history and futurology" is what I always say. well, I've typed it once.
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