Miomarmo

Together in Electric Dreams

When I read this recent article in the New York Times, all I could think of was the scene in “Electric Dreams” where the Edgar, the computer, runs all the household appliances and makes coffee as well. (It also tries to steal the main character’s girlfriend away from him, but that’s a whole other story.)

The article, "Keeping a Green Home, Remotely", says:

“Now a new set of software tools lets a cellphone owner track a home’s electricity use from wherever she is.

The new tool from Tendril … lets the cellphone user turn appliances and furnaces on and off from a distance. It integrates with a collection of tools that track consumption and broadcast it to local and distant displays.

Their systems will compare your home’s consumption against similar sized ones in your neighborhood. It will also make suggestions and predict how much lowering the thermostat would lower the bill.”

“Electric Dreams” came out in 1984, and it’s exciting to think that 25 years later, we could actually do some of the things that were so over-the-top techhy back then. Apparently there’s a remake of the movie being planned for 2010 – I can’t wait to see what they come up with for Edgar (the computer) to do this time. I'm sure managing the electricity for a greener household will be part of it.

Below: Edgar tries to get his lovely neighbor's attention....

Sometimes Older Can Be Better

                                     

When I was in 7th grade, my grandfather bestowed upon me his pin collection. I don't mean pins like the ones used to keep a hem in place, but the ones that were kept on lapels to support presidents or opinions. At first I was confused: where was my awesome Christmas gift of Beanie Babies? Then apathy kicked in and the bags were tossed into the back of my closet.

Years later I dragged the bags out and sifted through them. To my surprise, there were pins inside supporting FDR, Nixon and even Adlai Stevenson. Some even proclaimed "Don't Panic!" in the charm of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. All of a sudden, they were cool.

Now that I'm out of college and on a budget, I've found myself flocking once again to older things: vintage slips that I turn into tops, old postcards pulled from a bargain bin in Gettysburg, costume jewelry that used to be my grandmothers, even books from a massive thrift shop in New Jersey. New things can be lovely, but to buy an item someone else cherished if only for a short time can be a real boost. I always considered it owning a piece of history, no matter how recent or short lived.

Flea markets, thrift shops, antique shops, the Salvation Army, Plato's Closet (for Illinois folks), second hand stores, garage/yard sales, Goodwill, anything along those lines can hold unknown treasures to keep and cherish for as long as you live. Donations to Goodwill and the Salvation Army are other amazing ways to dispose of clothes and other items you no longer treasure in the hopes that someone else might.

What I've learned from shopping secondhand is that things you love but that aren't exactly up to date can be remodeled by a tailor or cleaner to keep the beauty of the piece. Just ask my patent leather purse!

For more information on where to go to buy secondhand, click here.

Happy Sorting, Sifting and Shopping