This occurred to me while I was changing the oil in my truck, along with a friend who was once a mechanic and really knows what he's doing under there. We'd been all over town trying to find a service facility (other than J.L. and its clones) that could change oil in under a 1/2 hour. We finally wound up in my driveway, and it was a true moment of male bonding. It seems to be a fact essentially of the 21st century that no one of typical economic constitution is capable of and/or willing to do this job, the way I recall doing as recently as on the 1986 Dodge Aries K. that I once owned. In the 20th century, men changed their own oil, and even tore down engines. Thus the reactionary gears began in my head. Technology would do well to be frozen to what existed as of 31 December 1999 (or 2000, depending upon your definition). A quasi-religious order would develop, that would hold as sinful the modern trappings like oil change facilities and police rescues for flat tires that now seem to be the standard in 2003. My searches on "20th century preservation" seem oriented to maintaining architectural icons and museum pieces, but not to continuing on without help from the latest and greatest. But then, Kaczynski got started on much the same theme...
-- zedidiah, Jun 18 2003

(?) The theme song http://www.codehot....ks/villagegreen.htm
[mrthingy, Oct 17 2004]

(?) Halfbakery Time Capsule http://www.halfbake...ry_20Time_20Capsule
The only part worth saving? [phoenix, Oct 17 2004]

(?) Or this one http://www.geocitie...eman/songs/20th.htm
[mrthingy, Oct 17 2004]

Posted a preservation idea myself but wasn't trying to compete with yours.

Hey yeah, that would be interesting to see in the future people giving tours through a 20th century house explaining how the primitives lived.
-- sartep, Jun 18 2003


The Geffrye Museum in East London actually has a few examples of domestic design from the 20th century, the 20s, 50s and the 90s. The 90s "pad" is a loft full of Ikea furniture and fancy bottles of water.
-- vollrath, Aug 24 2005


Also, the Design Museum near Tower Bridge in London is almost entirely filled with 20th-century exhibits.

By which I mean that nearly all the exhibits are from the 20th century - not that the exhibits are crammed in so tight that visitors can't get in.
-- friendlyfire, Aug 24 2005


i was thinking how after we run out of oil, things made of plastic will be objects of mystery and wonder to future generations living in middle-ages lifestyles. Cheap plastic toys perhaps wil be traded for food and toilet paper.
-- benfrost, Aug 27 2005



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