August 30, 2010 – More storage bins.

Posted on August 30, 2010 by planboy

I wish I could tell you what I thought I was keeping these for.

Yet another day of giving away stuff that was designed for the sole purpose of holding other stuff.

When I originally tagged “stuff for stuff” as a category entry for this blog, I thought I was being a bit of a smart-aleck. Just bloggin’, you know?

But, I’m amazed at how many items of the RID project can be tagged that way. How the stuff we accumulate not only in some cases saddles us, but leads to the accumulation of other stuff to accessorize it, to hold it, to enhance it in some way.

As I did a weekend cleanout of stuff for the RID project, I noted this insight – and decided to think through the things I consume with this in mind…

1) Will I still want this item I’m buying in 5 years? 10?

2) What “other items” will be needed to enhance or accessorize this purchase in some way?

3) What is the “total cost” in terms of storage, mental energy, and focus in the areas above?

4) Given all this, is this a purchase I still want to make?

Here’s to mindfulness in our consumption.

Posted in STUFF for STUFF | Leave a comment

August 29, 2010 – Less stuff means less to organize.

Posted on August 29, 2010 by planboy

Perfect for organizing bills and other stuff you don't want anyway.

These sorter boxes were used to keep bills, mail, etc. But I often found myself putting piles of STUFF in these to be sorted or evaluated later.

No more. A new rule – if I can’t figure our why I’ve got it — or what it’s for, it goes directly to the RID box. (Well, after a quick photo anyway…)

These boxes are my ultimate STUFF that contains STUFF.

And so, off they go. Probably to contain someone else’s stuff.

They can have them.

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RIDding yourself of your ex’s tracks/posts on the Internet.

Posted on August 28, 2010 by planboy

Think “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” – for Facebook.

Ex-blocker.

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August 28, 2010 – Musings about money.

Posted on August 28, 2010 by planboy

I'm reminded of a Pink Floyd song.

So…the RID project is taking its toll on my willingness to go shopping.

While I haven’t stopped buying things when I need them, I find that the act of giving away one item per day is really giving me pause when I buy anything new. I think my attitude towards consumption is getting healthier. I take my time when buying things – really evaluating whether I truly want them or not. And for me, I think this is long overdue.

I was just in Oxford, and saw a great exhibit at a museum about money – how it was minted years ago, and the symbolic value it holds. Since seeing that exhibit, it’s made me think about the value we place in all sorts of symbols — the endorsement of money by governments, the endorsements of products by brands, and the endorsement of belonging by consumers contributing to — and buying brands.

It seemed then only appropriate to offer up something to recognize this insight – and to remind myself of it. I received a new money clip for by birthday – so I’m offering up my old one, and my old wallet – to the RID project.

They’re both in perfect condition — but changing my attitudes towards possession is changing my attitudes towards obtaining….and it seemed an appropriate time to give these up.

I find this Maya Angelou quote says it best:

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

The bird. She sings.

Posted in Money and Spending It | Leave a comment

August 27, 2010 – Take a picture of this…

Posted on August 27, 2010 by planboy

You push the button, it does the rest.

It only makes sense that, since I got rid of an old video camera the other day, a 35mm camera would be soon thereafter.

I received this camera years ago as a gift from my parents, and I loved it…I loved the process of choosing the right photo, composing it…then awaiting the results from my local photo developer.

Of course, now I’m on my fifth digital camera, not including the ones included on cell phones and other digital devices.

It makes me realize that we may actually lose something when we don’t have to wait for the photos to come back. And more importantly, we (or at least I) don’t take the care to compose in the digital world. I’m trying to take a quick snapshot to preserve a memory or remind myself of something interesting for later blogging and/or recall.

But I do think we lose something…I take less time making sure the composition captures the moment in a way that is really true to the experience.

So…today’s RID reminds me to find the time to take care, to take time, and to stay in the moment to truly experience the pleasures of life.

Good thought. Worth remembering.

This one’s a keeper.

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RIDding those calories might be easier than we think.

Posted on August 26, 2010 by planboy

“Has the long-sought magic potion in society’s “battle with the bulge” finally arrived? An appetite-control agent that requires no prescription, has no common side effects, and costs almost nothing? Scientists today reported results of a new clinical trial confirming that just two 8-ounce glasses of the stuff, taken before meals, enables people to shed pounds. The weight-loss elixir, they told the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), is ordinary water.

“We are presenting results of the first randomized controlled intervention trial demonstrating that increased water consumption is an effective weight loss strategy,” said Brenda Davy, Ph.D., senior author on the study. “We found in earlier studies that middle aged and older people who drank two cups of water right before eating a meal ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories during that meal. In this recent study, we found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals, three times per day, lost about 5 pounds more than dieters who did not increase their water intake.”

Article here.

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August 26, 2010 – Sustainable energy. Important, but not my thing.

Posted on August 26, 2010 by planboy

I think I'll start by recycling this.

I’ve come to a conclusion lately.

Yes, of course I care about global warming. And I worry about those who deny the science.

But, while I recognize it as an important issue, and I will continue to do all I can to reduce my own carbon footprint (like ridding myself of unnecessary possessions), I realize it’s not where my passion lies.

That is, I’m glad that those who are smarter and more passionate than I am about this issue than I am…are working diligently on it. I, on the other hand, need to find a social/charitable cause that I’m more personally passionate about to make a true difference.

This book, a gift, is the first action on that knowledge. I’m re-gifting it to someone who’s more passionate than I about this issue — someone who will take the knowledge in this book and put it to much better use.

Certainly better use than me keeping this on my bookshelf for the next few years…and using gasoline to move it to new abodes time after time.

Here’s to conservation of all kinds of energy — including not wasting it.

P.S. I just found out it’s the 35th birthday of global warming today. Eek – happy birthday?!?!?

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A technology addiction RID project.

Posted on August 25, 2010 by planboy

“Move over, David Blaine. This guy Mark Malkoff is attempting the unthinkable! He’s going to live in his New York City bathroom for five days. He claims this is to combat his internet addiction, so he won’t be bringing his iPhone or laptop in with him—he will, however, be bringing with him this list of things to accomplish during his stay.”

Read the story here.

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August 25, 2010 – A videocamera I haven’t used in years.

Posted on August 25, 2010 by planboy

Ah, the stories she could tell...my daughter's first steps, trips taken...

I’ve been hanging onto this video camera…and I wish I could give you a good garsh-darn reason why.

I’ve had it since 1994 – and that should tell you it’s quite a bit larger than it might appear in the photo above. I kept the tapes, and plan to transfer them to digital files — but otherwise, this camera’s hitting the Goodwill very soon.

It gives me a bit of pause as I think about what it MIGHT mean to apply the RID project to digital files – after all, with the lowering price of storage – we really aren’t motivated to throw any of our files (or memories) away.

Sometimes I wonder if it doesn’t cheapen the experience somehow. Admit it, of ALL your photos, which touches you the most? A yellowed one sitting in a shoebox somewhere…or a digital one you’ve taken over the last few years?

Of course, it’s not just the age – the RARITY of those photos is what makes them so valuable.

This is something at the heart of this project for me. Scarcity is what brings value and importance.

So as I give away yet another item today, I take a glance around my apartment…and recognize the items I clearly intend to keep.

Maybe, just maybe…that’s inspiration for another blog on August 1, 2011 — “WhatIChoseToKeep.com.”

We’ll see.

Posted in Electronics | 2 Comments

The Famous “Dr. Z.” discusses our relationship to time.

Posted on August 24, 2010 by planboy
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