2 posts from June 2008

Its all over the news here, CA is in some very serious drought conditions this year. Authorities are making a plea to everybody to conserve their water use. I can tell you that conservation has always been a second nature for me around the house so this is not a big deal for me at all. I am really good at finding ways to keep water and electrical waste as low as possible. Two reasons why: one, having grown up in the Philippines, a country plagued by bad government, resources like water and electricity were often cut off, sometimes at great lengths of time, so I was just used to dealing with less and using less; secondly, because of our housekeeper who was rabidly insistent about not wasting water or electricity. She admonished us relentlessly and it has been etched into my brain. We were luckier than most families, because we had our own small reservoir. Nevertheless, conservation was important. Showers were short, especially if we had no power. In that case we would have big pots of hot water heated by the cook top and the indespensable tabo (a small bucket designed to ladle water, like a dipper).

Yes, you simply learn to make do, and you learn to be conscientious of your resources, whether there is a crisis or not. I simply can't stand seeing a light on when it's not in use, a car idling, water running while brushing teeth, etc. I personally do find it a blessing to have grown up an unintentional environmentalist, it certainly keeps my utility bills down!

I have to confess, I am a "What Were They Thinking?" junkie. I love to go to to James Lileks' site and read his books/blog which makes fun of old recipes, books, comics, photographs, and all other types of ephemera and oddities from the past. Yes, I'll even admit that I find it very hard to tear myself away when shows like "Top 10 Worst Heavy Metal Bands of the 80's," or some such drivel pops up on TV (when I actually had cable TV that is). 

You really do have to wonder what people were thinking when they painted their kitchens a lurid mustard yellow, wore bell bottoms that could serve a secondary purpose as a parachute, or cooked their frankfurters in jell-o. Okay, the first two examples are a matter of opinion, I suppose, but there's just no forgiving the jellied franks. 

As bizzare as these things may be, we should all be grateful that they happened, or we wouldn't have such a good laugh now, would we? We should be especially grateful that there was some atrocious art direction going on (or no art direction to speak of) when it comes to these record albums, appropriately titled "Worst Album Cover Ever." If you don't believe me, just check out these two gems:

Dead_friends

Mulletude

Are your eyes burning yet? As fair warning, some of these album covers may scar you for life. Not for the faint of heart.

Via WalletPop