The contrast is staggering...

between today and a time some of us still remember.

Phoebe, over in her Detention Room, posted:

Heartwarming story of survival, 17 children 1920′s

“I have brought them up to the idea that honesty is the best policy, and that only criminals refuse to work,” Alice told Buxton. “All the children at home have their work to do, and they take pride in doing that work well.”

When I grew up in Maine, it was nothing to have large families in your community, they all were hard workers and managed to support their children for the most part.  

When times were harder for the families, the Churches, neighbors and local town welfare offices helped them but only as a supplement to their paycheck, to this day Maine is one of the few states that has town welfare offices.  I miss that lifestyle, where everyone knew each other and neighbors helped neighbors.  read the rest

Now contrast that with a story I read today: 10 Ways the Recession Has Made My Family More Self-Sufficient

It was a simple article relating how a family saves a bit of money.  Half of the comments were insulting and made fun of these folks for actually doing things like having chickens and growing a garden.

A sampling of some of the dumbest comments: 

Dumb F--- article. Stupid Adivce. You have got to be kidding me.

Well no s*** you can save thousands of dollars if you go back to living like cavemen....what a retarded article

You sound like a genuine nut to me. If you are happy great for you, but don't expect to see myself sliding back in time such as you. It truly is great that there are nuts like you in the world, makes me feel like I am living the good life. It appears you still rely on the internet, drop it to.

I've always wanted to live like a dirty hippy. Thanks for the tips!

I love the last one.  Growing a garden, having a couple of chickens, and cooking from scratch makes you a dirty hippy?  No, you fool.  The dirty hippies are all occupying somewhere and wanting someone else to provide for them. 

Funny how so many of the people that don't have a pot to take a tinkle in have cable TV, hit up Starbucks numerous times a week, buy new cars (or worse yet - lease), and laugh at people who shop thrift stores.