Posted on 12/27/2006 7:56:23 AM PST by SmithL
John Perry's worst temptation was a plumber's snake for his clogged drain.
Sarah Pelmas and Matt Eddy succumbed to the siren song of new white paint.
But aside from the occasional hardware crises, the Compact -- an ever-growing group who have vowed not to buy anything new except food, medicine and underwear -- is going strong on its first anniversary.
The Compact originated in December 2005 at a San Francisco dinner party, where guests decided to take recycling one step further and go for a year without new purchases. Consumerism, they said, is destroying the world and most of us already own far more than we need.
They called themselves the Compact as a semi-joking reference to the solemn commitment of the Mayflower pilgrims, but the concept is being taken quite seriously and has quickly spread.
They've been featured in newspapers across the United States and Europe and on the "Today" show, "Good Morning America," "CBS Evening News," TV news in China and Poland, and countless shock-jock radio programs. They were offered book contracts and at least two TV reality shows, all of which they turned down because it seemed contrary to the Compact principles.
Almost 3,000 people from six continents have joined the Compact group on Yahoo, and chapters have sprung up around the globe from Alabama to New Zealand.
"It's been staggering," said Compact co-founder John Perry, who works in communications at a Silicon Valley technology company. "We never set out to start a movement or be holier-than-thou models of righteous behavior, but it's been very gratifying to see the impact."
There's also been a mild backlash.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
FR is located in California. Where will you post then?
I can't believe so many view their fellow human being as just a cash register sound.
No, they do not, unless it's in the guise of "ecology" and "conservation" or "natural resource management".
It does not even occur to these dolts that without "consumerism", we'd all still be living in mud huts, wearing animal skins, and crapping in the snow - that is, when we weren't dying of infectious diseases or being eaten by wild animals at young ages and in large numbers.
All right - you can have California, Mexico. We don't want it anymore.
Isn't California's economy one of the largest in the world, including countries?
All of those naysayers can just stay put and find another forum more to their liking.
I think FR has software that will mass-ban all of the California bashers when Calif becomes an independant Nation.
I love to see comments by people that I know will never come here.
Why not call them what they really are....Luddites.
Ok thanks.
Oh, I just love your coast line!
What is that, a lake of something like that?
A friend of mine noticed on the "Day without A Mexican" when the illegals didn't go to work, miraculously the Freeways in San Diego cleared up - no traffic jams. Who Woulda Thunk It? :)
California can be a paradise again - all it would take is another President Eisenhower and Operation Wetback deporting illegals.
"The more frugal of us do this already - without the evironmental-whacko "feel-good" BS to go with it..."
Exactly. I had to make a Wal-Mart run today for pet supplies (ALL Made in America, of course!) and I stopped in at St. Vincent's. Found a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans for $6 (usually $25) and a UW Badgers fleece pullover for $5...with the $35 tag still on it. (Both brand new.)
I think the only things I buy that aren't used are socks, undies and shoes (hard to fit.)
I don't have a single stick of furniture that wasn't passed down to me from someone else which means that by now I have a very nice collection of REAL antiques, LOL! We do have a very good mattress that we paid full price for years ago...a needed investment for our sore backs.
Cars? Second hand. Pets? Pound Found or "friend of a friend" deals. I admit I do buy "new" chicks once in a while to refresh my flock, but that's just because I don't want the hassle of hatching my own. ;)
Do I do it because I have 'White Guilt' for trashing the planet? Nope. I do it all because I'm CHEAP, LOL!
Sounds like they should just emigrate to Nork Korea.
LOL! Me, either.
Carolyn
San Francisco: The city of brotherly love.
Throw us to the wolves if you must, but we get to keep Jim Robinson and FreeRepublic.
And we will ZOT you all!!!!
Don't worry. There are plenty of well armed CA freepers so we won't need to ask for help. Jim Robinson also is from Ca.
Remember, during the late unpleasantness between the states, every southern state except SC provided Regiments to the Union cause. Tennessee provided 50 regiments. Diversity thrives within states.
The most expensive christimas give I gave was my .45 Colt Lever action rifle, to the son of a friend.
See, you can give tasteful gifts without a lot of money.
The last time there was a rebellion, it gave the good people in the Southern states a chance to take their state back from the thugs who enslaved poor whites into the militia to protect rich plantation owners from their "property".
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