On Thu, 5 Feb 2009 18:22:19 -0800 (PST), Joe
wrote:
On Dec 31 2008, 12:17Â*pm, Robert wrote:
On Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:04:58 -0500, Nate Nagel
wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
An advert features an electric space heater made by hard-working Amish.
"But despite what the ad implies, these are not made by the Amish: They're
made in China. If you read the ad carefully, you realize that only the wood
mantle is made by Amish craftsmen. Amish have nothing to do with the
fireplace itself. "
http://www.wcpo.com/content/news/loc...urmoney/story/...
Well, obviously... the heater is electric. Â*What would Amish know about
electric heaters?
That said, there is a store near me that sells Amish-made furniture; I'm
tempted to buy some because it looks pretty close to what I would make
myself should I have the time/tools/motivation to do so. Â*Visiting there
and then a well known general furniture store immediately afterwards
confirmed that sometimes, yes, you do get what you pay for (and paying
2x the price to get better quality is not always that bad a deal.)
nate
Lets clear up one common misunderstanding. Â*Amish DO use electricity.
They just dont connect to the power grid (electric company). Â*They use
gasoline powered generators, car batteries, and other sources to
create their own electricity. Â*I know this because I have Amish
neighbors and I am friendly with them. Â*I know one Amishman who runs
an entire dairy milking operation, complete with power milking vacuum
system, refrigerated bulk tank, and even has a 12 volt lighting system
in the barn. Â*The entire system is powererd by a 14HP Briggs garden
tractor engine. Â*The guy built all of it himself. Â*The engine connects
to a slip belt clutch, then to a car generator and 12V car battery,
which runs all the lights and fans and the bulk tank paddle that stirs
the milk. Â*The same engine has another lever to activate a car air
conditioning compressor, which cools the bulk tank, and on one
occasion he froze the milk by accident. Â*Then the same engine powers
the vacuum pump for doing the milking. Â*The guy built this all from
junk car parts and scrap metal, and it's pretty amazing how it all
works and works well. Â*He also runs power tools using an inverter, and
has a CB radio connected to the battery to talk to other Amish
neighbors. Â*
They dont connect to the power grid, but they are very ingenious and
do use electricity. As far as practicallity, while it does all work,
and works well, the guy spends more per month on gasoline than it
would cost to have electricity from the electric company, or at least
he was when gasoline was around $4 a gallon.
Now this came guy is working on a generator system for his horse drawn
buggy. Â*By law they are required to have headlights and taillights on
public roads. Â*Their batteries get weak on long trips, so he's
designing a generator that is powered from the wheels to recharge the
battery. Â*He also has a CB radio in his buggy. Â*
Another guy has a complete sawmill setup, which is more like a modern
factory than just a backyard mill. Â*The whole thing is run with two
diesel semi truck engines. Â*There are two buildings. Â*One saws the
logs into boards. Â*The other building planes and finishes the lumber.
Each building has it's own engine, and a series of belts and pulleys
that run each machine.
I find them pretty amazing and very intelligent people, even if they
are different. Â*Like the guy with the powered barn. Â*He has lights in
the barn, but is not allowed to use them in the house. Â*The house uses
coleman lanterns and oil lamps, and they heat their hot water outside
in a homemade wood fired heater, and have to carry the water indoors
with pails. Â*Yet this same guy is allowed to have a modern propane
water heater in the barn, but not in the house.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
The fact you find them intelligent means you have not had much contact
with them
there are a few but very few who have IQs above room temperature
Ask him sometime WHY he believes what he believes--they stutter and
stammer but
cannot answer
Here
They use 30kw gensets in their barns as they run at a lower speed and
diesel is cheaper
and their barns are huge and need lots of power
They wont drive a car but hire people to do it for them and they like
that as
it makes them feel special--like a movie star and they DO feel above
the rest of society here in lancaster county where they live and laugh
at the tourists as they fleece them for their money
I ought to know ===sadly, my father is a mennonite amish type
and has refused to talk to me for 30 years as I wont go to his church
Its a cult --no more-no less
With the vitriol boiling in your viens I figured you had some kind of
an axe to grind..
Go make peace with your Dad. To do so you will have to swallow your
pride and give him some respect - He's living HIS beliefs. You are
living yours.
Look for the good in people and you will find it.
Show the good in you and others (mabee even your father) will find it
too.
Perhaps the money from the tourists has corrupted a fair number from
Lancaster County - my ancestors left Hershey,Hammer Creek and Peoria
over 150 years ago.