Basic Necessities

“bacpac said this on another thread "I remember when basic necessities did not include a cell phone, VCR, automobile, cable, fast food, whiskey and cigarettes"

I agree with most of what he said except I think the car is a basic necessity today. If you have a cell phone and no home phone then it could fall into a basic necessity.

What extras could you do without? Have we become so dependent on these items that we can't live without them.”

“My job :-) Unfortunately I've become addicted to the pay check.

Trailtalk! :-)

But barely!”

“i've been tryin to talk the old lady out of having cable tv for a long time now, especially with a child on the way...we use netflix and that would be plenty for me, plus we live only about 10 miles from all the affiliates so we could get the 4 major stations w/ an antenna

(oh yea, and my use of the terms "old lady" is strictly for irony, i can't stand it when people use that)
last edited: 2/03/06 11:09:07 AM”

“I hope your PBS comes in clearly, TH. We don't have cable or satellite either. PBS can be a godsend with a little kid.”

“PBS can be a Godsend as an adult too! But seriously, it is the best with a small child. No commercials so you don't have to hearabout how much they need this and that, and it's pretty high quality programming.

I think everyone's definition of necessary will be different. I feel that a home, food, water and family are about it. Everything else is luxury. I'm pretty darn grateful to have it (the luxury stuff) too.”

“the only draw back to getting rid of cable is the few stations i do watch, TLC, Discovery, History Channel, Travel Channel, are all on cable...someone was telling me there's a new law that is going to make cable providers offer a-la-cart packages but the providers will charge so much that it won't make them economical”

“the phone thing is kind of a catch 22...i don't like having a cell phone some times but between having a cell or a land line i'd pick the cell but my internet is through the land line

i could also do with out clothes, those things are just too confining”

“Forget the car, cell and that stuff. Important are the whiskey and I'll add taxes.”

“all phones, microwave, television, computers/internet, game systems, automobile(s), heating, cooling, vcrs, cable, alcohol, cigs, all forms of junk food incl. fast food, going to the movies, dishwasher, fancy clothing, water delivery, large house/apt. ..........”

“computers/internet sarge

but how would you troll? j/k ;)”

“I defiantly could not do without a car. That is based on the fact that I live 40 miles away from my job, can’t afford housing any closer, there is no mass transit in my town, and car pooling isn’t an option. Different living and working situations are different, so I really can’t say that a car is or isn’t a basic necessity.

A computer is the same way. For myself, my computer is not a necessity, but for my sister and nephew, it is or soon will be. Many of his school assignments require him to do research via the web. By the time he is in high school he will be required to have a computer to get daily homework assignments via the web or email.

My cell phone I defiantly could do without and my soon be getting rid of it. I don’t use it that much and don’t get a signal at home unless I stand outside next to my mailbox. My main reason for having it is for emergencies.”

“cars that cost more than $10,000

(this is slightly hypocritical since we just bout one over that) :)”

“I think as long as I have electric, a tv and a Playstation 2 I'm pretty much set. Food and the rest come second.”

“There's a Playstation 2 now. I still haven't bought a Playstation 1.”

“I don't eat fast food. Don't smoke. Can and have done without a cell phone. Don't ever listen to music when walking.

Don't ever read a book when walking!

Now, if you can do without a car does that also include doing without a Computer?

I was hoping this thread was about lingerie
last edited: 2/03/06 11:48:14 AM”

“no one has mentioned sex yet. weird.

i'm not saying you couldn't live without it. but who'd want to?”

“i guess the computer barely qualifies as a substitute for sex - but only in meeting min. essentials for life.”

“One does not possess sex -one is possessed by it.”

“There's a Playstation 2 now. I still haven't bought a Playstation 1

my Atari games won't fit in either one :(”

“I guess not everyone's as sexlexic as you, Sacco! :-D”

“sexlexic ???!!!

does that mean he does it backwards?”

“aye, i'm truly cursed.

let us pray a cure is found before it's too late.”

“my Atari games won't fit in either one :(”
thriftyhiker
12:56:08 PM
2/03/06
ignore this user

Do you think my Intellivision games will fit?”

“Many poor folks and urban dwellers do without a car.”

“For lizs, apparently, a computer tech sitting next to her at all times would be a basic necessity.”

““Many poor folks and urban dwellers do without a car.”
VioLiN
1:15:15 PM
2/03/06
ignore this user

Which is why I said for myself I couldn't do without. Other in different situations could.”

“Yes. I've known Urban dwellers do without a car & a computer but very few do without both.

My point being that a computer can replace a car.

So both replace walking.

I got a car in DC b/c my 17mile commute would take a minimum of 2.75hrs in the Morning (starting at 0545) and up to 3.5hrs in the Evening "rush". Add that to 10-14hr work days and that sucked!

Now I use my car to get out of the City mostly. I might fill the take once a month or less.”

“For lizs, apparently, a computer tech sitting next to her at all times would be a basic necessity.”
bitpusher
1:22:08 PM
2/03/06
ignore this user

LOL. Are you volunteering?”

“Oh hell no.”

“I don't know why but the rather remarkable image of bitpusher sitting in lizs' lap flashed through my mind


it was kinda cute in a twisted sort of way”

“I've never had a cell phone and still don't know why people want to be so damn accessible, especially when hiking. Some years before the advent of those cursed devices I had some friends in Virginia who actually had a phone extension in their bathroom so people could reach them even when they were taking a crap. I ridiculed them loudly and frequently, eventually taking to call them at unusual hours (not after bedtime) just to ask them if they were taking a dump. I think it may have put a little damper on our friendship.”

“Maybe they did it just so they could talk to telemarketers while they were taking a dump.

Nothing freaks out a telemarketer like the realization that you're pinching a loaf while they're talking to you.”

“

What?
Who is this?
Nimble?
No I don't want to go hiking. I'm taking a crap, leave me alone.

'click'


'plop'
last edited: 2/03/06 2:40:57 PM”

“Without seeing these people, you'll never know how funny that is. They couldn't get in and out of their vehicle without a shoe horn.”

“Roof over my head, decent car for husband to get to work with, food, and I really enjoy having a tv, but that's all I need.”

“Not big on clothing, lh?”

“Most people will never know how much they can do without until they have to do so.

Shove your cellphone up your ...
Cell phones - Enjoy your cellphone, but please keep your phone booth area away from me!

I almost had words yesterday with a cell phone user. He had a loud voice and, by walking back and forth, he was turning all three rooms at the local pool hall into his private telephone booth. He was completely inconsiderate of the others there. Had I been playing I probably would have said something. But I was merely watching, while drinking coffee. Mainly, what held me back was the rule that anyone in a fight gets banned, no matter who was at fault. I should have alerted the bartender to the situation, but I guess I was lazy.

I had never seen this guy in there previously, but it did appear that some others knew him. A lot of tourists come through this time of the year, including road players.”

“I'm getting a cell phone;)”

“I could live without a car if I had to. I could use my bike (no public transportation around here.)

No car payment, no insurance, no maintenance, no gasoline, no car wash, no vehicle license, no drivers licence, less property tax.

Without a car I would be a rich man.”

“Plus if people were walking and riding bikes their health care costs would go down.”

“A long distance thru hike really teaches you what you can do without. It's all about sorting out wants from needs. That being said, I never want to return to the days of scraping the frost off the outdoor toilet seat.”

“I couldn't get to a decent trailhead without a car.”

“Love Cell Phones. Going thru withdrawal after giving up fast food for a month now. Gave up working 100 hours a week around the clock. Now I just do my 40 on midnights. Semi-retired.”

“nowslimmer - You definitely need to watch 20/20 tonight.”

“clothing is a waste of time and money. Follow the birds.”

“Well, I have a cellphone, but its really only so my daughter can reach me or vice versa when I'm away from home or work. My co-workers for the most part rely heavily on theirs and think i'm the oddball for not living with it like they do.

For instance, my voice maill outgoing message warns to not bother leaving a message for me because I'll never receive it. I simply don't listen to the messages their. If I'm expecting a call, I'll answer the phone. If I have the phone with me (which means I'm probably expecting a call), I'll answer it. They tried calling me from work the other day and my battery was dead, so they looked at me funny the next morning. They wonder how I can possbily manage without being totally connected.

They don't get it.”

“bit, you caught me. I'm naked at the computer, lol. Well, that goes to show you that clothes or rather, being clothed in the newest fashions are not high on my list of priorities.

I guess I can do without the teli also since I read a lot of books.”

“Roam I'm like you although I have a pay by the minute cell phone and I only have it in case of emergency. One or two people have my cell phone number.”

“Sniff, sniff, I'm not one of them. And I do have emergencies, sometimes!”

“Our cell is our phone, period, we own no tv or microwave. we have one car. I think we are doing pretty good :)”