Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Monday, October 6. 2014

Quote of the day

From my dumpster guy, a good, reliable fellow, Hernando:


"I wish I could send all these stuffs to my relatives in Colombia. They could use all these stuffs you people throw away."

Posted by Bird Dog at 17:41 | Comments (10) | Trackbacks (0)

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My aunt in Brazil in 1960 told us that the locals went thru her garbage and ate it. I remember the Orange, She threw away the peal and they wanted the white part
#1 bgarrett on 2014-10-06 21:06 (Reply)
This is why markets exist.

One man's trash is another man's treasure.
#2 Bulldog on 2014-10-06 21:11 (Reply)
While I can't necessarily disagree, that seems a rather dystopian view, though reality is a harsh mistress, most especially when one is starving.
#2.1 XRay on 2014-10-06 21:57 (Reply)
Not necessarily dystopian. Just because someone will pick up what you leave on the curb doesn't mean they are starving. I'm not above it, although I will try to do it quickly and early in the morning. And I've set things on the curb that I was through with but might have another year or two left for someone in an earlier stage in life than me.
#2.1.1 Jack Walter on 2014-10-06 22:17 (Reply)
Understood, Jack. I've also done as you, both ways. I was more commenting on the disparity of the first two comments. They are different things, orange rinds for sustenance and the marketplace of goods, to my feeble mind they shouldn't be equated.
#2.1.1.1 XRay on 2014-10-06 23:14 (Reply)
You'll note I wasn't replying to the orange rinds comment. That is something entirely different and separate from my comment.

Dumpster diving for food is an act of desperation, in many cases (though there was a piece on TV recently in which someone was doing in at certain establishments because the 'quality' of food was so 'good'. I'm not on board, thanks.)

The fact remains what BD was getting rid of wasn't food, it was probably some relatively high-quality products. When I have those, I usually Freecycle them for people who need 'stuff'. Old bed frames, for example. Or bicycles.
Old books, if they are in good quality, go on Half.com.

The idea of orange rinds for food is not necessarily in the same vein. However, it may also be part of the market-making concept. If there is opportunity in that situation, and there most certainly is, then maybe there is a market solution. I say this because in NYC there are several non-profits which collect unused food from restaurants and grocery stores and distribute them to the homeless. That is an example of how the comparison is not dystopian at all - and is frequently overlooked by leftists when they discuss how some are 'left out' of the standard economic system.
#2.1.1.1.1 Bulldog on 2014-10-07 06:38 (Reply)
Wait a minute! There is still someone left in Columbia that didn't get the memo that our borders were open?
#3 GoneWithTheWind on 2014-10-06 22:54 (Reply)
Most illegals coming across our southern border are from Central America (Guatemala. Honduras, El Salvador) or Mexico; Columbia is much farther away, in South America...
#3.1 cas on 2014-10-07 09:44 (Reply)
Indeed, my tongue was in my cheek but it's hard to tell over the Internet. I have worked with and known Columbians who came to this country both legally and illegally. All of them were good people. Interestingly the legal ones tended to be educated and the illegals not so much. Must be a story there.
#3.1.1 GoneWithTheWind on 2014-10-07 10:22 (Reply)
Most of the clothing that gets donated to places like Goodwill or Salvation Army never reaches their storerooms. Instead, it gets shipped overseas. Which insures an abundant, inexpensive supply of clothing for many in the Third World, but at the expense of many local textile industries.

http://www.planetaid.org/blog/why-charities-collect-and-sell-used-clothing-and-shoes
#4 Gringo on 2014-10-07 17:16 (Reply)

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