Raise the Hammer

Ug, I just made a long post, then lost it. Dangit.

You aren't legally allowed to blow your clippings onto the road. Take a picture, call by-law.

Laziness, because tasks accomplished by a leaf blower can be easily done with a rake or a broom in the same amount of time. Both manual tasks, done properly, utilize the large muscles of the trunk and can be done by people of nearly every age and ability. And there is no other power tool that is less effective in saving time and work.

Simply untrue. Some landscapers have between 10-20 minutes to finish a property and move onto the ext. Raking/sweeping would take nearly double that.

Psychoscaping is my term for the construction of elaborate designs using rocks, trees, gardens, water and lighting to create a beautiful yard that is unused and mostly unusable. It is the HD, 3D version of '70s photographic wallpaper murals, and about as sterile for the soul.

You're right, it is a term you coined. Some landscaping is GORGEOUS, STUNNING and MAGNIFICENT. I can see how you would think that those who use it and their yards are no longer usable, but how many of those people would have used their front yards either way.

I disagree highly with the idea that landscaping is the HD, 3D version though. I used to do landscaping, mostly lawns. I do not own, nor care to own a flat screen TV, nor do I care that my parents have subscribed to all the HD channels available on TV today, nor have I yet to see a single 3D movie.

But something about a well kept space, not just a yard, appeals to me and many others. I can't do homework in a messy house, I can't concentrate. I would hope to keep my house well maintained as the by-laws tell me to (they don't tell me how to...).

Nice landscaping is appealing, and not liking it because some of the implements used to maintain it is ridiculous.

A leaf blower is what, 10 minutes of your life, maybe 10 mins. per week? How much of that time do people spend in traffic, or somewhere else just as meaningless?

In sound, decibels are defined in terms of power per unit surface area on a scale from the threshold of human hearing, 0 dB, upward towards the threshold of pain, about 120-140 dB. As examples: the sound level in the average residential home is about 40 dB, average conversation is about 60 dB, typical home music listening levels are about 85 dB, a loud rock band about 110 dB, and a jet engine close up is 150dB.

Add to this something called synergy and you have much much louder noises coming at you everyday from a wide variety of seemingly noiseless sources.

Considering that:

Notice that the lowest threshold of pain is still higher than the loudest leaf blower.

I'm all for being environmentally friendly and being kind to your neighbors and such. But I wouldn't judge people and nor would I expect them to be where I am at. (I too plan on used a true push mower and a broom when I own a property with grass) This comes across more as, "Those pesky rich snobs who do this this and this and irritate me..." than anything else.

Comment edited by Jarod on 2010-10-27 09:52:46