Cob: how do folks handle other responsibilities during buildi ng?

[Kelly, Sean]

>The most important thing in my opinion is to take a long hard look at "the
>demands of everyday life" and act to change them so that this becomes less
>and less of an issue.  It's only been an issue for a small part of the
>population for a few hundred years out of human history...let's start
>turning it around before it gets any worse!

Ah, how true John.  It is amazing how little of what our society deems
'necessary' work wise one would need to do if they didn't have to pay off an
overpriced, oversized, mass produced house. (or likewise all the electricity
necessary for the 'labor saving devices' that just make you labor harder to
pay for them, or any multitude of things that are unnecessary)

>And - how would such a machine be any different that all the existing
>(expensive, resource-depleting, highly manufactured, energy-guzzling,
noisy,
>dangerous, dehumanizing) machines that we already have and use to
>construct dwellings?  If it were as simple as mechanizing most aspects of 
>housing construction, well, that was done decades ago...

Here I have to wholeheartedly agree.  Most of what appeals to me with cob is
that _I_ can build my house.  At most I need to buy some straw and dirt (If
the locale I choose didn't have decent soil for cob) and get some people to
work with me.  Enter THE MACHINE.
  Yes it would make Cob available to the masses (read people who wouldn't
consider it otherwise due to lack of time, interest, environmental
conscience, lack of desire, etc).  Yes it would be efficient (time and labor
wise).  Sadly, if THE MACHINE takes off, unless it is only built by someone
with a conscience, it will be yet another (as you point out) in a line of
many machines which, through saving us time and effort, ruin our environment
with noise and fumes.  Also, we then have to rent the machine (assuming it
does everything one can think of, Joe Cobber isn't going to be affording the
cost of buying one for himself - and why buy one to build one house?).
Along with that, perhaps (depending on the complexity), comes finding
someone certified to operate it.
  Ah heck, I'm not trying to dump on Paul (who is testing his machine now)
or anyone else who wants to speed up and make easier the process.  It's just
not for me for many reasons...  Besides, I feel that if I spend months
building my house by hand, I'll really get to know it, and it will be
something that is part of me, and I'll be part of it.  If my house is
machine built, it is just another place.  
   To end this maniacal rant of an email, I will say we each must determine
what will be the best road for ourselves.  I won't be using a machine I
don't think (though who knows what I'll say when I get into the process...)
but I'm sure that there are folks who will.  And that as they say, is what
makes the world go 'round (no, I guess that was love...)  Well, whatever.
To each their own.

Sean