[LMB] (now OT: textile machinery

[Sylvus Tarn]

On Wed, 2006-09-06 at 11:18 -0400, Paula Lieberman wrote:
> The American 
> Museum of Textile History in Lowell has an impressive collection of
> US 
> textile production equipment, ranging from huge numbers of spinning
> wheels 
> and an original waterwheel that provided power to the textile mill
> which was 
> the original use of the building (Lowell was one of the first factory
> cities 
> built in the USA, built on the Merrimack to get the waterpower to run 
> textile mills), and much of the equipment is in working conditions and
> they 
> give demos.  Oh WOW is some of that stuff every NOISY!  

Yes, as a matter of fact, I have to Lowell and visited the textile
museum---one of the few open on the Monday I had to explore.
Fascinating.  And your point is well taken, compared to then machinery
now is *relatively* bearable.

But only relatively.  It's almost impossible to find a place truly
without automobile noise, but think of that, refrigerator noise, 60
cycle whines, computer fans, on and on and *on*---there's still a lotta
low-level noise, and like other low-level pollutants I don't think most
people have much sense of how these have subtle, injurious impacts.

Bottom line:  the pervading noise and nighttime light pollution make me
crazy.

/rant.

sylvus tarn
http://rejiquar.com