Skulls and unicorns, oh my.
I enjoy wearing my sweater vests, no matter how many of my friends give me crap about them. (You know who you are.)
Today, I give away my Marc Ecko sweater vest with unicorns and skull designs underneath the main pattern.
I bought this one because it appeals to the things I tend to enjoy the most…things that look one way on the surface, but have more than that going on underneath.
I guess I have to admit…it’s how I see myself.
Or at least I hope.
Swim away.
Being in Cuba seemed like an appropriate time to give away a spare set of swimming trunks.
I own two pair — and go swimming about once every couple of weeks in the summer…so,…
As I give these to the RID project, I think about a silent promise to myself to not own two of anything I only use occasionally.
Here’s hoping I can stick to it.
Find good use, please.
I, like all of us I suppose, tend to just end up with “too many” of several things. Today, I give away some plain, colored t-shirts. Of which I have a closet full.
As I leave behind these items in Cuba…I make a quiet promise to myself to RID myself of the need to have so many things…even the “basics.”
Say it three times fast.
As I continue my week in Cuba…I’m giving away these t-shirts.
I originally bought them to wear with shorts…which I just don’t wear as often anymore. And now they’ve been replaced by other t-shirts that I’m more likely to wear.
So, as I spend another day in Cuba (hopefully in shorts, natch) I give these ringed tees over to the RID project.
RIDing not kidding.
Today, I begin documenting things I’m leaving behind on my trip to Cuba.
I begin my first full day in Cuba today — and I’ll be there a full week.
I give away my kidrobot t-shirt in the interest of thinking about the excitement I feel when visiting a new country, and marveling in its sense of design…how different it is from what I’m used to…and in what ways it’s similar.
So, today…I give away, in Cuba, a kidrobot tee…one of my favorite American designers.
And hence, hopefully…contribute to the worldwide spread of good design.
Inspiration.
Today I give away the book, Gig, in which people talk about their jobs…how they do them, why they have them, how they chose them.
This is something I wonder if all of us should do more often. To evaluate the CHOICE we have EVERY morning. To actively choose to go to work, to make the commute, to choose the job we have rather than another one.
It occurs to me that anytime is a good time to ask ourselves, “Why am I in this job?” and “Do I want to keep doing it?”
Food for thought heading into a new year…
How to indeed.
I really liked the idea of this book when I saw it – how to apply the insights of science to improving the mundane of everyday life.
But, after about 4 years of this book sitting on the shelf – I’m RIDing it.
I’m becoming increasingly frustrated about how we, as Americans, are disregarding science. It’s amazing to me how many things we know via scientific method that we ignore on a daily basis. Things that would improve our lives, our relationships, and our sanity.
Especially in business. But that’s the subject of another entry…coming soon.
Apparently, not so useful to me.
Today I give away the book, “The Evolution of Useful Things.”
I’ve long struggled with the fact that I don’t think of myself as “a maker.” I deal and make my living in the intellectual property and ideas world, and truth be told…I’m just not very handy.
I think when I purchased this book it was based on my desire to think about where things come from, in the interest of creating “things” myself.
As I gift this book to the RID project today, I give myself permission to play to my strengths, rather than worry about my weaknesses. Other people are makers of physical objects, I am not.
Just not many artists under these letters.
Last day o’ the month – a CD day.
Couple o’ highlights –
Jason Isbell – found this guy when he was with Drive By Truckers. Sure wish the band would patch things up, as I found this solo album pretty disappointing. But when he was with the Truckers, they were at their best.
Hole – Man, was this an album. Courtney Love, seen as the “enemy” after Kurt’s death, raged back with an album to be reckoned with. Alas, it wasn’t long before she returned to form.
Idlewild – a Scottish band I found a few years ago thanks to this great source. Give it a listen, you won’t regret it.
And with this entry, I’m 1/3 of the way through the RID project. And yes, it’s getting harder. Much harder. More on this later.
Interesting subject...for someone else I guess.
I’ve always prided myself on being a bit of a “friend of the everyman.”
I have a tipping policy – I tip in direct proportion to how much I don’t want to do a job. In other words, cabbies and hotel maids do quite well with me, most of the time. I can’t imagine how hard these jobs are for how little these people are paid.
That’s why I originally bought this book. As a big fan of this book, I thought I’d like the book pictured above. It seemed a smart continuation of the theme.
But it seems I never make time to read it.
So off to the RID pile goes another stack of “old trees.”
Here’s hoping the person who finds it does something to help the urban poor.
What I got rid of today. 