"The End of Suburbia" video on youtube

[Erdrick]

trebuchet03: "Eventually, there won't be "enough" oil. Sure - I think 99% of us here will agree to that. But I think 100% of us won't just sit there and take it without looking for a solution. Because eventually - a solution will be found "

Thank you for hitting the nail on the head. THIS is the exact problem that is going to doom the U.S., and probably most of the developed world. In America, people always believe in the ability of themselves to overcome any obstacle. This is present to a certain degree in any country or group of people who are doing well. They begin to attribute their success to their own superiority and hard work. Well, the world doesn't quite work this way, and there are many more factors to consider other than just what you are personally (singly or collectively) responsible for.

Solutions can't keep being found until the end of eternity. Growth is what marks progress, right? Progress and expansion are a good thing right? Cutting back on things never helps anyone, are you with me? Anyone born in America has been brainwashed with this since they day they popped into this world. Problem is, it isn't natural. Things are born and they die. Correct me if I am wrong, but everything from rocks, trees, and highways to people have a lifetime. Some are shorter, others are longer. To think that you can grow anything forever is ludicrous. It defies everything that humans have ever discovered about ourselves and our world around us. Sure, things visible only under a microscope may be indestructible, but they objects they compose have finite lives. The system now is broken, and it isn't necessarily fixable. Maybe I am the only one who doesn't see this as such a bad thing.

The only thing you are missing is the obligatory "they" as in "they will think of something."

Don't take this as an attack, but rather as an aggressive rebuttal of sorts. [hope my quote worked...]

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by Erdrick

Growth is what marks progress, right? Progress and expansion are a good thing right? Cutting back on things never helps anyone, are you with me?

Don't take this as an attack, but rather as an aggressive rebuttal of sorts. [hope my quote worked...]

Now that first sentence is truly American brainwashing... I for one, do not subscribe to that magazine of manifest destiny. I for one do feel that cutting back helps a great deal. Hell, that would be one reason why there's a gross obesity in the US.

No worries though - I'm not seeing it as an attack at all. In fact, it's healthy discussion

I do agree that there is no infinite solution - nor is there an infinite amount of solutions. Macroscopically, the existence of life here - on this planet - is dependent on the health of our life star, the sun. Once it goes (however that may be), the planet becomes a closed energy system and we follow a new set of rules. Closed systems move towards disorder.

I purposely didn't say "they" in reference to the solution. Why? I want to be part of a solution -- this is why I choose engineering

To think that you can grow anything forever is ludicrous.

That is completely correct - on this rock we live on It seems rather "Trekian," but assuming we're around long enough, we aren't bound by our planet. It may take thousands of years for our population as a whole to find it's balance - such a balance exists as it does for everything, but it looks like it's going to take lifetimes for nature to do the dirty work as we (the entire mass of meat peoples) seem incapable of doing it ourselves But once that balance is achieved, then you can grow anything until forever.

But someone else said.... "Life goes on - and nowhere did we imply life included humans." and my response is -- if we're not in that equation, we'll be bare knuckle boxing (nature and likely each other) until we're gone...

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by trebuchet03

Thanks for the link

Did anyone else notice within the first two minutes most of the cars had some sort of wheel fairing/skirt (at least a partial one) :P

you mean all the old 50-60's cars? that was the style back then. had nothing to do with FE. same with the fins, all the chrome, etc... look at a car from the 50's and it has style liek no other and extremely shiney, todays cars have what one color with maybe a pinstripe down the side? and most have triangular shaped headlights and tailights... cars of today have lost style IMO. all the makes are starting to blend together to me.

around me theres all these new neighborhoods that piss me off. they are all build in cornfields, and all the dam houses all have a light pole in the front yard, all either beige, tan , or cream. and all have some kind of brickface on the front. damn houses like that all look alike...and all the people seem to be stuck up and uppety and if your driving slowly they whip around you because they need to get to thier house in 3 seconds...

i feel sorry for this one guy near me who has lived in what used to be the country for years and years. then last year they built up a neighborhood around his nouse and all the people made him clean up his yard (he had a few old old cars around) id be pissed if that happened to me...

[Peakster]

Originally Posted by VetteOwner

around me theres all these new neighborhoods that piss me off. they are all build in cornfields, and all the dam houses all have a light pole in the front yard, all either beige, tan , or cream. and all have some kind of brickface on the front. damn houses like that all look alike...and all the people seem to be stuck up and uppety and if your driving slowly they whip around you because they need to get to thier house in 3 seconds...

Yeah I totally know what you mean by today's housing. The first thing you see is the huge garage! Very unattractive.

I used to live in a quasi-suburb (just a bridge away from the rest of the city) that was developed in the 70s and not only did the houses have more character, most of them didn't have a garage (and the ones that did had to be opened manually ). Because people had to actually expose themselves to air when they got home and parked in their driveway, people of the neighbourhood would strike up converstation with ease (I still remember most of my neighbours there).

Now we all have automatic garage-door openers so now people drive into their garage, close the door, and not a word is spoken. Really sad.

[Peakster]

Old Suburb House (the kind I grew up in) Note that you actually have expose yourself to the elements *gasp* :

Attachment 390

New Suburb House (YUCK!) Note that you never have to see the light of day, hence current society needs tanning salons :

Attachment 389

I can't stand prominent forward facing garages. Its like saying: "Look at me, I have a private collection of vehicles. *thumbs nose*"

[zpiloto]

I Love my garage. So does that make me a bad person

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by Peakster

New Suburb House (YUCK!) Note that you never have to see the light of day, hence current society needs tanning salons :

Tanning salons! ug..

"See that thing up there [sun] - I put this [sun block] on my skin to protect me from UV radiation"

"This place here [tanning salon] - this is where I go to purposely irradiate myself with UV radiation, I even strip down to expose more skin"

I guess culturally, we've done worse... but really now

[Peakster]

Originally Posted by zpiloto

I Love my garage. So does that make me a bad person

Don't get me wrong, garages are okay (every house I lived in had at least one). But there's a huge community difference when you live in a house that has a detached 1 & 1/2 car garage at the back of the parking pad, compared to a giant box with 3 huge doors taking over the front lawn. Just my opinion. Lucky for me the "Old School" houses that I like are considered obsolete, so the one pictured is less than 1/2 the price of the "New School" one (even though the liveable square-footage is very similar).

BTW, my dad is currently making a SIX car garage at the lake. His reasoning is: "I need 2 stalls for the vintage cars, 2 stalls for my daily drivers, and 2 more for the shop area". Whatever floats his boat I guess.

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by Peakster

Don't get me wrong, garages are okay. But there's a huge community difference when you live in a house that has a detatched 1 & 1/2 garage at the rear of the parking pad, compared to a giant box with 3 huge doors taking over the front lawn. Just my opinion. Lucky for me the "Old School" houses are considered obsolete, so the one pictured is less than 1/2 the price of the "New School" one (even though the liveable square-footage is very similar).

Just giving you a hard time. I've lived in both and I think that those that roll in and out wouldn't talk to anyone even if they were parking outside. Don't want to get the thread to off topic.

[VetteOwner]

lol im glad soem of you other people agree with me. our old neighbors used to be outside all the time and we used to chat almost every day. we still chat but its harder and harder. our new neighbors are nice (dont complain about much) but you cant really chat with them. they either work weird hours or thier rushing off to do things.

but when i get my own place im deff going to have a whole lotta garages! just cuz im tired of working on my cars on a gravel driveway! (some of you know my pain) drop a socket or small screw and it might as well have fallen into a volcano cuz theres no finding it.