I just re-read "Future Shock" on Chas' recommendation.

Toffler talks about this at length, and while I applaud the idea I think it's going to be tough to change things much.

As the link states, this is very much a universal first world problem (in its origin). I'd welcome a reality check from SK, but I seem to recall reading that the Japanese very much prefer new electronics including appliances, to the point where they dump their old ones (often only lightly used) in the Tokyo Harbor.

Also, that the less affluent Westerners living in Tokyo take advantage of this, by rescuing such rejects and rehoming them. That it's a major way for them to make ends meet in that expensive city.

Secondary point too - if it's still true ( and if indeed it ever was) - that the otherwise very frugal Japanese also dump shipping containers. That these containers are actually often made of mahogany. Of a cheap variety but mahogany and other S. American woods, nonetheless. Kind of a shocker, and if memory serves, a major PR movement was already initiated to awaken Japanese consumers to this great wastage of both electronics and wood. (Perhaps it's already taken effect.

Anyhow, if there's truth to all this about Japan, it certainly goes to show that in this regard at least, Americans are far from being the worst sinners in generating electronic (and other) waste.

But what about the effect on the economy?

Wouldn't the effectiveness of this recycling/refurbishing of electronics have a dramatic negative effect on the grow-grow-grow economy? It took me a long time to gather that economic growth depends on constant spending, much of which is a function of replacing (almost) perfectly good stuff.

That is, either because it's slightly frayed or because brighter, shinier versions of appliances, technological products and even changing styles in clothing are being sold to an eager shopping public.

What else is advertising designed to promote?
And what if both advertising and largely superfluous purchases stopped?

Don't know why this clearcut consequence isn't figured in such Green movements.

At long last maybe I can get my wonderful old Seiko metronome fixed.

My pet peeve is the constant harangue that you MUST upgrade to the very latest phone, as soon as it becomes available. It's just freaking nuts.

The very same technology that people stood in line for 12 months ago is now so disgusting that you can't wait to get rid of it? How many of those "obsolete" phones are now just sitting in a drawer somewhere? How many of us even begin to use all the features on our phones?

How many of these upgrades are just to the camera (and how many of those cameras are being used to take photos of food, but that's another story....)

OK, off my soapbox

quote:

Originally posted by RealPlayer:
At long last maybe I can get my wonderful old Seiko metronome fixed.

Speaking of which ... I miss my old, totally analog, physical pendulum type metronome very much. I later acquired a Seiko and it works fine, just not as stately as the old physical pendulum type. Then came the iPhone. I downloaded a couple of metronome apps and I figure I will never have to buy another discrete metronome just like I will never have to buy another discrete GPS navigator again.

The metronome app I use these days is called “MetroTimer”. One nice thing about it is that I can tap the beats at the speed I want and it will display the beats-per-minute measurement based on my last few taps. It’s a very useful function to figure out what metronome markings to put down on a new piece of music. No way the old pendulum type metronome can do that; heck, even the Seiko cannot do that.

I understand your love for the old analog metronome. My Seiko was more than a metronome, a “rhythm trainer” with accents and different tones. Of course the modern metronome apps do all that and more.

I am practicing a piece with irregular meters but constant 32nd notes. So I am using a metronome app on the iPhone (Pro Metronome) that gives a constant 370 bpm. Would go up to 500 if I needed to. Don’t think the Seiko could do that, but maybe with subdivisions.

But the Seiko wouldn’t drain the iPhone battery.