Archive for February, 2008

Just because I can

Friday, February 29th, 2008

A lot of times, people ask me, "Paul, how can I not buy stuff?" Well, here's how. (By the way, I know the video is extending into the right-side blogroll and stuff. I know how to fix it, too. I chose to sacrifice my weird little blog description for higher video quality. ...

On the value of used stuff

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

I once bought a used book at Myopic in Chicago. Don't ask me what book it was - too nerdy to admit. Inside the book was a Post-It Note (brand name ownership example #1) with a phone number for a man named Noel who lived in England. How cool is that? You ...

‘Please, sir. I want some more.’

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

(Public domain Oliver Twist illustration. Source: Wikipedia.org) Damn. It would be so easy to post links to the news articles linking consumerism and childhood depression in British children. I could say something smug about how I knew it all along. Then I could stop blogging for the day and make a sandwich. But ...

Incredibly annoyed

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

Here's an object lesson in research: For years, I've worn New Balance shoes because they have good arch support and, I thought, they're made in the USA. Turns out I was only partially right. True, New Balance does manufacture some of its shoes in the USA. But not all. Not my green, yellow ...

Buy my anticonsumerism

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

I would like you guys to take a few seconds and look at this posting on Lifehack.org. It's called "How to Avoid Being Enslaved by Consumerism." Seriously, take a look. I'll wait here. ... hum de dum de du rai ey ... (softly crooning) Oh, Eileen ... Oh! You're back. I swear, I ...

This is going to sound bad

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

(Public domain image. Source: Imageafter.com) OK, so I'm just putting it out there - when I was a kid, I thought everyone on the entire planet was poor except for in the US and western Europe. Seriously, I thought the world was a bunch of tempest-tossed, starving refugees, some British guys and ...

ECO-NUNS!!!

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

 A brief diversion from the usual topic today.  The National Catholic Reporter did a story on nuns going green.  Hmmm. I wonder where they got that idea? Dang religion reporters ripped me off.

The Renegade Interview

Monday, February 18th, 2008

(Source: Renegade Handmade Flickr account. Used with permission.) In the sea of hip known as Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood, there is a modest consignment shop where a person can buy plush bacon and eggs, buttons with owls on them and posters and shirts made by artists and crafters from Korea to, ...

Coming Monday!

Sunday, February 17th, 2008

The Things You Carry goes audio, debuting what will hopefully be the first of many audio interviews. You have been warned.

That saucy Bernays

Friday, February 15th, 2008

Meet Edward Bernays. That's him. He looks a little like Walt Disney, huh? Happy guy. I bet he's got a cute, happy quote to describe the worldview that makes him so darn smiley. Here it is: "If we understand the mechanisms and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control ...