Ziplock Bags Are A Clever Metaphor!

[Douglass Norvell]

You clever devils!

While I get harangued and abused for initiating political discussions, you
slipped in a startlingly frank set of observations about the American
lifestyle, attitudes and politics using ziplock bags for a metaphor.

Yes, as you point out, Americans like to divide their vegetables, leftovers
and even camping gear into neat little packages that can be kept in order
and opened only when needed.  Extend that thinking to world politics and
there you have it.  American hegemony expressed in terms of plastic bags! If
only I shared your genius.

Going on, how clever to go even further by referencing the dirty clothes
getting the rest "smelly".  Was I the only one to connect that part of the
metaphor with herds of Arabs gone fetid in the hot desert from days of
wearing only their flowing seven day shiters.

Yes, I understand very well the American need to put the rest of the world
in "ziplock bags."

Shocked and awed, I remain.

Douglass G. Norvell, Ph.D. (Texas A & M University, 1970)








----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Spenger <rspengeraADELPHIA.NET>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 1:58 PM
Subject: Re: buying a suitable backpack


> Note of caution - If you are from the U.S., bring your ziplocks from home.
I have
> not found them in Europe. I talked to a couple of German pilgrims about
this and
> was told that, although they were familiar with ziplocks from commercial
> packaging, they had not seen them available for direct purchase. All three
of us
> wondered why there hasn't been a rush to market them in Europe, since they
would
> probably sell very well. Perhaps the situation has changed in the six
months since
> I had that conversation.
>
> regards,
>
> Bob Spenger
>
> Richard Willey wrote:
>
> > Here is a helpful hint regarding packing for any kind of trip.
> > Ziplock bags are your friend.
> >
> > I purchased a box of the large ziplocks.
> > Almost all of my gear ended up divided into a large number of separate
bags.
> >
> > This served three crucial purposes:
> >
> > First, the ziplocks can't be beat for waterproofing.  No matter what
happens to
> > your bag, the actual gear stays clean.
> >
> > Second, the ziplocks make packing/unpacking much easier.
> > After folding a bunch of stuff into a bag, suckout all of the air prior
to
> > sealing it up.  This does a remarkably good job of compressing your gear
down
> > to the minimum space necessary.
> >
> > Third, my gear tended to get rather rank.  Being able to isolate some of
the
> > more "nasty" dirty clothes until I could hit a real laundry was very
much
> > appreciated at some points during the trip.