February 2010
3 posts
World in Crisis, and you really don't know?
findinggood:
I’ve been talking with a lot of new people lately, and have started to venture away from the usual NYC conversation fare which, since I work in the Arts, usually has something to do with the new production of whatever’s at the Met, the fact that no one is buying touring attractions, and the fact that all my coworkers are, well, overworked. ARE WE ALL BLIND!??
I just assume that...
My anti-doppelganger is down the street.
This is a window display in New York’s Halloween store on Broadway. The mannequin was animatronic. It moved back and forth in a jerky fashion. I imagine it to be a symbol of the future. When there is a collapse in consumer culture, people will rock back and forth, repeating the mantra “buy stuff”.
January 2010
12 posts
Last purchase of 2009...
So, I didn’t cheat, but I DID think ahead- On December 31st, I purchased a Timbuk2 bag similar to the one in the picture here. They had a blowout sale at the end of the year, and I was in need of a new bag. It actually arrived last week, but I forgot to post about it until now.
Carrying a bag is a really interesting part of owning “stuff”, especially here in New York, where...
1 tag
Rule 5
“You can accept gifts, right? I’ll just buy something for you!”
I’ve gotten this a lot, so I feel the need to clarify.
Let’s say a friend comes to visit me, and they bring me a gift of some sort. Imagine how rude it would look if I told them I can’t accept it on principal… it would be rude, and make me look weird. That’s why I am aloud to...
1 tag
Well, Here's a Conundrum
My computer has a wireless keyboard and mouse. Both take two AA batteries. I am anticipating I will need to change the batteries in the mouse about once every six weeks, and twice that for the keyboard. Now here’s the problem- The batteries would fall under “nessesity”, as I need them to get through my life, and it looks like I would need about 32 AA batteries for the year....
Peaceful House →
My gorgeous, talented, caring, amazing wife, Leighanne, is also participating in the NoStuff project with me… she’s actually started her own Tumblr blog called Peaceful House, and she’ll be making similar posts there as well.
My Life as Explained by Nintendo
I stated in a Facebook status message in 2009 that “Everything I need to know I learned from Super Mario Bros.” There is a hint of truth to this. Just like every other ten year old alive in the 80’s, I wanted a Nintendo Entertainment System more than anything. The reasoning here was twofold- one, I just loved playing video games (still do, actually) and two, video games were...
Damnit, Google
So, as I stated in an earlier post, the time to buy tech is right after you bought it. My case in point: I was one of the early adopter’s of Motorola’s Droid phone. I was due for a new phone, and it looked like the right phone for me- I didn’t have to leave Verizon for an iPhone, and it had everything that I needed in a phone, and then some. All in all, I have been very...
Just another 98 people and I have a "movement" →
Curbing Temptation
I have never been a big impulse buyer, but I do enjoy looking at what is available frequently. Every morning I get an email from Buy.com that includes a bunch of their daily deals… typically I just look at it and sort of marvel at how far tech has come in the last decade. I also like to see whatever deal Woot.com has going on.
In order not to tempt myself, I just unsubscribed from the Buy...
3 tags
Experiences make us happier than possessions →
This article in the NYT pointed to the above link this morning. Interesting to see a trend emerging.
The Time to Buy Tech is Right After You Bought It
I have been a fan of Apple computers since the early 90’s. In college I worked as a Mac tech, and I have owned no less than 4 desktops, 3 laptops, and 3 iPods. Apple is rumored to be working on some sort of tablet to be released shortly. All of my friends think that I am going to crack and buy it when it is released. I don’t think I will, and my reasoning here is probably pretty good advice...
December 2009
2 posts
Some clarification
I’m sure I’m going to run into situations where the rules I laid out might not fit, so let me explain the point, as that should ass some guidance:
It’s my feeling that most of the things I spend my money on are not things that I need, but things that I want. In same cases, they are things that I want because I just like new toys… In fact, I’m willing to bet that...
A year without stuff
For the entirety of 2010, I am not going to buy any non-essential items.
I’ve got a couple of reasons for trying this:
No Space! I live in a 400 SQ ft apartment. Space is at a premium. Keeping down on the amount of physical objects in my apartment is going to be tough.
Testing the quality of what I own. There are a lot of objects that I rely on everyday, from my cell phone to my coat,...