Ziplock Bags Are A Clever Metaphor!

[G. Hammond]

Please keep your political opinions and arguments off of this sight.
GRHammond

----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglass Norvell" <norvellaNAUVOO.NET>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 10:34 PM
Subject: Ziplock Bags Are A Clever Metaphor!


| 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.