Chapter 6

This is the part of the book where Eric goes crazy. Because they have no electricity, they have no refridgerator. And because they have no refridgerator, they can't save food for left-overs. So one day Eric comes home and gets mad because Mary has not made food. With technology, they were a loving couple with few problems. Without technology, tensions rise and the couple is more on edge. Who knows, maybe later, Eric might slap Mary around a few times.

But anyway, the problem was soon resolved when Eric tried keeping the food fresh by keeping it in jars in the spring water. He seems impressed by his discovery, but what is he going to do in mid summer? The water might be ok for the winter months, but in summer they are going to be back to the old way. I say they should give up now and go back to civilization. I would have left after Day 1.

The method of keeping ice is a shed with sawdust was pretty smart. I guess since they have no tv or internet, they have a lot of time to just sit around and think of new ideas. It is kinda like inmates in prison who just sit around thinking about how to escape- its the same principle...no technology means your mind has a lot more time to wonder. But i am fine with that trade off. I like tv and internet. I think its good to have external sources to stimulate the mind. If you put a person in solitare confinement...sure they might have a lot of time to think, but they will also have a lot of time to go crazy. So, it is best to keep technology and maybe read a book every now and then...that's the best way to stay mentally healthy.

Chapter 5

What a bunch of hypocrites. I didn't realize it until this chapter. I thought the Amish were all about no technology and living off the land. But if you think about it, everything they use is technology. The horse buggies, the canning utensils, everything! They may not require electricity, but they are still forms of technology-they are devices to make their lives easier. And who draws the line for technology? Who says one thing is ok but another is not? These people are so phony.

I also didn't think about the dangers of Amish life. When Eric first tried to use the cultipacker, he almost lost control of the horse. He coulda been hurt big time. And how about when he was on his bike? He was almost crushed by a stampede of cattle. Luckily only his bike got messed up. He needs a reality check...just because he is in Amishville USA, does not mean that he is safe from everything. I guess he never saw that movie- City Slickers.

I was surprise that the Miller kids were laughing when they found out that Eric had almost been killed during his adventure. If i were him, i would of punched those little punks. He was obviously angry with them, but i guess he wanted to keep everything peaceful. At least Mr. Miller seemed somewhat sympathetic to the whole situation.

Oh, back to the whole hypocrite thing...even Eric is fitting right in. He said he wouldn't use his car only in cases where it was absolutely neccessary. So what about when he drove it to look for the water spring. I'm pretty sure he could of walked there. Everyone in this book is so fake. Well, i think Mary is ok for now, but let's wait a couple more chapters and we can see how fake she turns out to be.

Chapter 4

It's funny how these hippies are all about Earth and mother nature....but then mother nature screws them over by flooding their yard. And it seems like the Millers are just going to be babysitters for this entire book. What would Eric and Mary do without them? They would be lost. I hope the Millers at least got some royalties from this book.

So far i have yet to see a plot for this book. The most interesting thing in this chapter was the 2 page conversation about facial hair! That's pretty awful. I really don't care what the latest Amish trends are regarding trimming your beard. Maybe i'll get lucky and the Miller's will turn into space aliens and this book will start to get good. To a degree, i guess you could already call them aliens. Think about it...they are very different from the rest of us. We don't know much about them. And we think they are weird.

So is it just me, or does anyone else agree??

Chapter 3

"Many hands make light work?" Give me a break. They should say "Technology makes light work." I just don't understand their way of life. Sure they are able to sustain themselves, but do they contribute to society at all-NO. I got a laugh out of the description of the Jones' house..."a rustic two story dwelling"...why don't they just call it what it is- a dump.

And i don't know what version of the Bible Mr. Miller is using, but some of his thoughts seem incorrect. He said the Bible says that all women are required to wear head coverings? I don't think i've heard that before- maybe he has the wrong religion. And what about keeping the sabbath day holy? He says he switches thigns around so he can worship on Saturday and then work on Sunday. I don't think God said in the 10 commands "Worship on whatever day is convenient for your schedule." ...Mr. Miller is losing credibility ...big time.

It also occured to me that the Miller's are doing their children a disservice. Eric talks about the family's happy and tranquil life, but how do we know that is what the kids want? They could grow up 10 years from now and decide they want to go to college, and experience the real world. If that happens, the kids will have no money, no college fund, nothing. I think it is pretty selfish of the parents to just assume that all of their descendants will live an Amish life forever.

Chapter 2

Their are a couple things going on in this capter. Eric and Mary finally moved into their new home, which i found surprising. Before starting this book, i just assumed that they would be living in a huge house with other Amish people- i didn't think 2 newcomers would get their own house. The hospitality of the Miller family was predictable. The Miller's cleaned the house and helped get the couple settled-that was not a surprise at all. Every sterotype of Amish people involves them as being nice, non agressive people.

It was nice to see a little history inlcluded in the chapter. The part about the Amish origins and whatnot...i never knew that. Oh, the part about the lawnmower was great. If i was Eric in that situation, i woulda told Mr. Miller "See ya, don't wanna be ya!" VH1's show Best Week Ever has a part where they have upgrade/downgrade...well, in this situation, going to a super old push lawnmower...thats a huge downgrade. The same thing is true with the washing machine-big downgrade. Technology has a purpose, it is supposed to make life easier/better. These weirdos keep going backward in time. Before you know it, they will be like Adam and Eve and just walk around naked. So far, i have not been persuaded to go Amish.

And what's with Mr. Miller saying "We're lazy people." I would not expect to hear that from any Amish person....maybe he just didn't want to deal with all that poop. Oh, and what's the deal with all the Miller kids. I lost count ...their are so many. But i guess with no technology or electricity...the only thing left to do is hook up. (hmm...maybe i will go Amish).

Chapter 1

I thought the prologue was a little far fetched. When i was in high school in Alabama, i worked at a hamburger place and we were def not that stupid. In fact, that same situation happened to us a couple times. When the cash registers went out, we just got some paper and did it ourselves. Sure the customers would be in the drive-thru for a while, but at least they got food.

In chapter one, i can relate a lot to the traffic jam experience. When i moved to Tallahassee at 17, it was my first time living in a city with 3-lane roads. I thought Tennessee Street was real intimidating, but now i just laugh about it.

The Amish loopholes were pretty funny. They can't own cars, but they can lease them. They can't have phones in the house, but they can outside. This just goes to show that technology is slowly infiltrating into every culture on earth. Who knows, maybe in a few years some African tribe near the Nile River with have their own PDA's and cell phones.

It is pretty ironic how Eric met Mary. This book is probably going to get into all about how technology is bad and we should use it less....but this couple would have never met had it not been for technology.

The last main segment of Ch 1 is the couple preparing for the 18 month fieldwork. Right here and now, i think this book is going to be about a couple hippies that are clueless. They will probably go live without technology and then try to tell us (the reader) that we should do the same. The fact is, i do like technology and don't like hippies. So, I hope that i will be able to take something away from this book when i am finished.

Test Blog

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