DeMaterialiZe and EnVironmentaliZe

ReThink: Xmas Holidays

2005-11-25T18:57:00.000-05:00

Only recently did I realize that Xmas was looming large. This is probably the most commercial and wasteful holiday of them all. (Okay maybe Valentine's is worse). Before you call me a grinch, please remember that Xmas is supposed to be about family, and doing good things for your community. Neither of those entail buying/wrapping/needing/wanting/consuming (other than dinner) and all the negative aspects of the holiday season.

I've decided to make a list of Xmas suggestions. If you can manage 1 out of all of them, then surely you deserve a pat on the back. Imagine if everyone did at least 1 positive thing, then it would truly make a huge difference. I plan on adding more ideas to this list so please check back frequently.

Buy a potted, replantable Xmas tree, to avoid cutting down a real tree or getting a fake plastic garbage tree. Honestly, it should be a sin to cut down a tree as a 'decoration'
Okay, aside from the religious connotation, the idea is still a good one, check out BuyNothingChristmas.Org
DO NOT buy gift certificates: They are lousy impersonal gifts, worse than cash and often go un-redeemed. What's worse is that people generally end up spending 15-40% more than the value of the gift certificate (according to the wall street journal)
If you must give something to someone, make sure it's comestible, handmade, or useful
Giving stuff or doing nice things for people should be a year round thing and not dictated by a holiday
Volunteer

RePlace: Goodbye Batteries

2005-11-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

Dematerialization embraces the reduction of everything, especially the integration of devices. A previous post on solar power (see make the sun your b*tch) talks about devices that are powered by the sun.
What about batteries? I'm not going to bore you with statistics on how many batteries end up in landfills (a lot) what batteries are made of (acid and other crap) and who is better, Energizer or Duracell (who cares?)

I will however provide a list of devices that said, "hey Mr. Battery, you toxic piece of sh*t, why don't you f*ck off?"

I'm sure there are more. But the whole point isn't for me to be endorsing certain products, just certain categories of products. Get off your ass and do some googling...

Batteries: 0
Non-Batteries: 1

ReThink: Dematerialization and Consumerism

2005-11-17T20:15:00.000-05:00

At the root of dematerialization is consumerism. If I wasn't a devoted consumer in the first place, I wouldn't be in this position of getting rid of stuff (much of which I never needed in the first place).

I remember being younger, spending days shopping. I felt compelled to buy something, often for the sake of buying. Then one day, I reconsidered my impact. It wasn't instant, and it's a process at the very least, but it doesn't have to be all at once, just get into doing it and it will come as second nature

The impact on consumerism is ... well, I don't think that a word exists in the English dictionary to explain how big it is. It's enormous and it's connected to everything, world trade, the environment, labor, media, culture, fashion, the economy. I'm not qualified to write about most of these things but if you're wondering, what's the point of dematerialization, here are some simple thoughts.

By buying less you're not buying into the idea of consumption, that's where companies have convinced you that you're not 'the right kind of person' unless you own certain things
By careful consideration prior to making purchases you can ensure to support companies that include ethical considerations in their products, including fair wages, environmental concerns, or products that are made to last where the companies stand by and offer excellent customer service, support and warranties.
By ignoring silly celebrity fashion trends you assert your individualism and show that you don't have to look like everyone else, to look good
By overriding a reliance on buying things to make yourself feel better, you free up time for more productive endeavors (yes surfing the Internet is productive)
Refusing to patronize companies that are blatant users of slave labor, you are refusing to support their unfair practices
By being informed, you have the ability to inform others, and at the very least present an alternate point of view. Even if they disagree with you, if you live it and don't just preach it, you can change their minds
Some people will argue, the earth is screwed regardless of what we do. That may be true, but if enough of us set an example maybe we can make a difference.

ReThink: It's been a while

2005-11-15T21:22:00.000-05:00

Before this blog gets too off topic with me making excuses as to why I haven't been blogging, I will just admit that there really isn't one. I've had tons on my mind, and since I stopped acquiring stuff I don't need, dematerializing hasn't been as much of an issue.

What I forgot however is that dematerialization isn't just ridding your life of material items but also about simplifying your life and adding good and new things to it. I found it hard to write about this kind of dematerialization because I wasn't doing it myself. I needed to practice before I could preach.

We're all busy, being busy is my excuse for everything. Funny how I find time to do stuff I shouldn't do, but never what I should. Here are ten things, (small things) that you should (if you don't already) do.

1. Drink 1 bottle of water a day (refill a bottle) water does make a difference, it clears your skin and keeps you going
2. Find five minutes a day to learn about something new on wikipedia
3. Find something to make yourself laugh
4. Think one positive (even if silly) thought each day
5. Eat a fruit
6. Keep your karmic nose clean, do onto others... bad things that you do WILL come back to haunt you three times worse.
7. Say something nice about somebody behind their back
8. Get a plant, they help you breathe better and provide excellent company
9. Try to notice one really cool detail or amazing thing every day
10. Tell someone important to you that they make you happy and that you're fortunate to have them in your life.

Okay kind of cheesy but the little things are what matter most.
More actual dematerialization to follow - I promise

I apologize for my Hiatus

2005-09-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

I know there have been a few now, I'm in the process of moving, AGAIN. So dematerialization has ironically taken a back burner to the rest of my life. Rest assured this blog will continue in the very near future.

In the meantime, I urge those of you in the US to quickly scour your closet and donate any extra clothing to hurricane victims.

RePlace: Material with Immaterial and Double Duty

2005-08-14T11:14:00.001-04:00

We all know that things = clutter, even those that are useful

Dematerialization includes two key concepts
1. Replacing the material with the immaterial AND
2. Making items do double duty where possible

REPLACE

Replace bulky Compact Discs (CDs) WITH Mp3 files
Replace a bulky DVD movie library WITH Streaming movies via CinemaNow or OnDemand, or even Netflix (where the movies are reused and not just stored individually by one family)
Replace a TV WITH a Projector system (DIY kit version :: Super Cheap DIY version) or (Expensive version) where the projector hangs from the ceiling and the wall stays bare BONUS no one will steal it like an LCD tv
Replace an Alarm clock WITH a software version for your computer (Recommended only for nerds who sleep with the computer on)
Replace a bulky game system WITH an emulator just ad controller (Super Nintendo :: Sega, Xbox, PSP, other Nintendo, Arcade Games)

DOUBLE DUTY

If you already have a computer in your room, an LCD monitor with TV tuner can do DOUBLE DUTY as monitor and TV

Double duty and Replace: 2
Waste waste waste: 0

ReThink: Air Purifiers

2005-08-09T10:01:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know it's been a while, better late than never right? I have no excuse except for maybe I just didn't have anything new to bring to the table for over a month. (It's been over a month!)
I'm in the process of moving to NYC and I have been dematerializing like it's going out of style. I guess the new challenge now is rematerializing but remembering the dematerialize key concepts.

Enough rambling, onto today's topic.

I live with pets, I live in the city, I live in an apartment. Sometimes I come home and it smells, the air is stale.

Obviously commercial air freshners are out of the question. Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals.

Alternatives?

Salt crystal lamps are chunks of rock mined from the base of the Himalayan mountains. If you've ever swam in the ocean or breathed in the air after a thunderstorm, that's what you get.
For more info check out IonicSalts.com or Saltlamps4U.com or Google "Salt lamps". Ebay tends to have the best prices.
We all know that Plants give us oxygen but buy them for environmentally friendly air purifiers as well
This is a list of plants gleaned from various web sites that have air purifying properties: Bamboo palm, Spider plant; flowering Mums; Peace lily plant and Mother-in-laws-tongue, aloe vera, dracaena plants, philodendrons, golden pothos, scheffleras (there are more)
Some sites that give more details on the benefits of purifying plants: humeseeds.com
worldwise.com (guidelines on how many plants for a room size)
vegetarian times (what plants remove what chemicals/odors)
Or pick up the 'bible' How To Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants that Purify Your Home or Office by B.C. Wolverton, Ph.d., (Penguin Books, 1996)

Dematerialization: Buy Smarter Part 2 The Bathroom

2005-06-23T18:08:00.000-04:00

People don't realize how much of their money and space and time and life is thrown away in the bathroom. By people I mean generally women and by bathroom I mean the whole scope of beauty, toiletries, makeup, haircare, (half the drugstore)

I recently started dematerializing the crap that accumulated in my bathroom/makeup area: you should too.

Shampoo/Conditioner

Unwanted mini samples can be brought to women's shelters
Only buy one set at a time, (one shampoo and one conditioner) you never know when you may want to switch brands
There are many EXCELLENT brands which do not test on animals, and many that are also inexpensive. My favorite is Down Under Naturals which unfortunately is not sold in the US. How to tell: ANY PRODUCT NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS WILL SAY NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS otherwise it is. Down Under Naturals is also biodegradeable!
A solid shampoo and conditioner will avoid the need of ancillary products (i.e. leave in conditioner)

Makeup

I'll start off by saying I personally don't wear makeup (I do own some) but I encourage you to own as little as possible and where you do, again try to buy products that are not animal tested
Some replacements:
Lip balm/gloss will bring out the natural color in your lips minus the lipstick (which men find gross and also women eat 1 lb of each year or something like that)
Vaseline can substitute for mascara (naturally lengthens your lashes)
Sunscreen will keep your skin nice so you don't have to put on so much makeup when you're older

Other

My favorite toner is Burt's Bee's Garden Tomato toner (non-animal tested + kind of wakes you up)
Anti-perspirant has lots of aluminum in it but the spray has less than the bar (7-8% v. 22%)
Don't be fooled by advertising, you are beautiful and the key to beauty is preservation which is generally found in a bottle of sunscreen, a good diet including lots of fruits and veggies, and water.
Shaving cream is an unnecessary advertising gimmick (especially if you're not shaving your face) soap + loofah do fine beforehand
A loofah, unlike a sponge is biodegradeable, also a cotton cloth is better than a sponge but not made of an animal like a loofah (plastic sponges are evil)
Skip the blowdryer. Especially if you have curly hair you want to keep curly.
Resist the temptation to throw away money on little makeup bits when you go to the drugstore. Have you noticed how large the makeup/beauty isle is growing? Stop making those impulse purchases!

Try to minimize your toiletries to the barest essentials (here are mine)

Soft & Dri Spray Anti Perspirant (8% aluminum and I will be graduating to a non-aluminum brand asap this container is done)
My favorite perfume
My gentle cleanser
My daily facial moisturizer with SPF 15
Burt's Bee's Milk and Honey Lotion
Burt's Bee's Garden Tomato Toner
Burt's Bee's Beeswax Lipbalm (even the boys own these)
Shampoo and Conditioner (down under naturals)
Non-animal tested Aussie brand hair gel

Dematerialization: Buy Smarter Part 1

2005-06-14T19:59:00.000-04:00

A prequel to dematerialization is not having to get rid of junk in the first place.
How do you do this? Well it simply involves buying smarter.

Buying smarter means that you consider and research a product before making a purchase
Several factors should be considered in trying to buy smarter including but not limited to: Price, Brand, Reviews, Need and Resale Value
Price: It's better to buy something that costs a little more but will perform better in the long run. (Ex. Instead of going to Payless for cheap shoes that are meant only to last for one season, pay slightly more for something that is timeless and well made that will last for a long time)
Brand: Certain brands carry certain reputations. They offer better warranties, performance or quality. Just because you recognize the brand, doesn't mean it's a good brand. You must do your research. Certain expensive brands perform well but are created to break after a certain amount of years so that you have to buy another!
Reviews: There is no excuse not to research what you buy! My favorite site is Epinions because it offers opinions from consumers like you on an incredible range of products. Beware of people touting products in forums! Some of them are paid to say how great brand X is. Also ask people you know about their experiences with certain products (ex. digital camera: what do you like about it, what don't you like about it, has it broken, what is tech support like?) People love to give their opinions.
Resale Value: If you get bored of something can you resell it and get some money back? Products that are highly rated with good brands generally have excellent resale value.

Important Tip: Skip a technology! Yeah it will be a bummer not having a DVD player: but guess what? It took VCR's about 20 years to become obsolete, and DVD's will be obsolete in less than 10 so your DVD collection will be very worthless very soon. It's all going to move to a digital format (just like MP3's).

Don't believe me? Check out CinemaNow to buy and rent movies right now without a DVD player or waiting for the rental to arrive by mail.

Buying Smarter: 1
Buying Stupider: 0

RePlace: Make the Sun your B*tch

2005-06-09T08:16:00.000-04:00

You know, the sun just sits there shining, essentially doing nothing. Does the heat and light drive you crazy? Get revenge. Make the sun your new employee, no forms or salaries required.

There are a variety of ways to harness solar energy

Including:

A solar powered jacket to charge your devices
(Some general information on the effect, and charge you get from solar panels)
A solar powered vibrator
A ton of various solar powered products including radios, flashlights, battery chargers, landscape lights and even tons more solar powered gear
Solar powered vehicles
Solar powered backpack for tech nerds that need that extra boost of power
Wallpaper that is powered by the sun
Solar web-hosting (damn! Even this one surprised me)
Solar powered trash compactors
How much solar power do I need? Making calculations
Solar powered outhouse and Solar powered birdbath fountain

Solar power: 1
Other non-enviro power sources: 0

RePlace: Goodbye Styrafoam, Plastic and Wax

2005-06-02T10:13:00.000-04:00

We won't miss these a**holes. As I'm sure you know, styrafoam, plastic and wax do not deteriorate. Well they do but it takes forever and they don't help the earth in any way.

There are options for us forward-thinkers. Spread the word, it makes a difference.

Now you can buy and find:

Please, consider these options when having a party or a wedding.
Also if you know organizations/people who have a habit of overusing paper and plastic, send a link their way. People are generally unaware that these options exist. INFORM THEM! and yourself.

Dixie Cups: 0
Compostable/Sustainable/Biodegradeable: 1

Dematerialization: Step 2

2005-05-28T00:16:00.000-04:00

Okay,
So you've decided to dematerialize, say goodbye to the clutter in your life. Be prepared there is more than one way to dematerialize.

You'll need:

Some time (a day?)
A room to dematerialize (the 3-step process is repeated for each room)
The room to dematerialize must be clean (it's easier to find stuff)
A friend who doesn't bullshit you (or a critical mother)
Three boxes

Step 1: Label the 3 Boxes
Box A is Goodbye and includes items for Sale, Donation or Garbage but is essentially comprised of stuff you no longer want.
Box B is Maybe and includes stuff that you are not sure you want, but can't get rid of right away
Box C is Repair and includes stuff that needs to be fixed, cleaned or redone.

Step 2: Go through the room, in every nook cranny and drawer and start putting items in their appropriate boxes. Use your critical friend as a fresh eye on what should go or stay.

Some guidelines for Goodbye:

Clothing unworn for two years
Clothing that doesn't fit but might if you lose some weight (if you lose the weight you'll want new clothes)
Anything with tags that hasn't been used within a year of purchase
Abandoned musical instruments
Books that won't be read or reread
Tacky home decor that serves no legitimate purpose
Kitchen appliances that haven't been used in over a year (Sorry George Foreman grill)
Toys that are no longer played with (except the ones with sentimental value)
Unused old technology
Unwanted gifts

Listen to your friend: They will be objective where you can't.

Guidelines for Maybe: The Maybe pile is stuff that you don't use but that you can't part with just yet. This is normal and is part of the process of removing reliance on material possessions. Hide your completed Maybe box after finishing the room. Look at its contents again in 6 months and reconsider what should go. You'll be surprised at what you discover.

Guidelines for Fix: Fix it only if you intend on using it afterwards. Otherwise it should go in goodbye.

Step 3: Sorting Goodbye
Remember: Goodbye doesn't mean the trash.
Goodbye should be split into 3 piles

Sell (or if you don't want to sell at all, then skip and focus on #2)
Donate/Give Away
Throw away (Aim to put as little as possible in this pile)

Guidelines for Sell:
In following posts I will cover how you can make the most money from your stuff (or at least some money). Preview: I sell my stuff to earn some money to fulfill a pre-defined goal.

Guidelines for Donate:
If you don't want to sell then please donate. This too will be covered in a future post. Some quick tips: An organization exists that will gladly take your stuff even if you think no one wants it. This ranges from old computers to used women's suits that help needy women get a leg up on job interviews. You can also donate certain items to willing friends. Finally, just because something is broken doesn't mean that certain organizations and people can't/won't be able to repair it.

Guidelines for Trash:
Please recycle your recyclables and make sure that waste is disposed of appropriately. More on this in a future post. In the meantime, if in doubt, check your city's government pages for guidelines on safe waste disposal.

Ready...Set...Go

RePlace: Goodbye Dryer

2005-05-26T18:31:00.000-04:00

Mr. Dryer:

Uses up a lot of electricity
Ruins your clothing over time
Dryer Sheets: Ew

So now we say goodbye to him and hello to:

Mr. Gullwing Dryer:

Requires a little more patience
Will save money on drying costs
Doesn't know the meaning of static
Will help your clothes last longer
Canadians: Canadian Tire
Americans: These are tougher to sniff out, try a local hardware store or maybe a Walmart

Energy Guzzling-Clothes Wrecking Dryer: 0
Gullwing Dryer: 1

Dematerialization: Step 1.5

2005-05-22T11:39:00.000-04:00

Why Dematerialize?

I have come to feel like the possessions I own have somewhat come to rule my life.

Stuff causes a lot of headaches. Think about how often stuff rules your life!
People buy hefty insurance to guard their stuff
People worry that their stuff will get stolen and get upset when it does
It’s annoying to buy stuff and find that the value of your stuff has decreased
People get jealous of other people’s stuff
Sometimes people kill because they want other people’s stuff
People work all day to provide their families with stuff
Television tells us we need stuff
People comment when you don’t have stuff (where is your microwave? How come you don’t have a juicer)
People devote entire days to looking for stuff (let’s go to the mall, lets go to a flea market, antique show, shopping downtown, window shopping, birthday present opening, Christmas present stuff (shopping and opening).
The more money you have, the more useless stuff you seem to accumulate
If you have a big house, you work to fill it with lots of stuff (because empty is bad)

And this is just the short list!
Thinking about how much stuff rules my life made me decide to get rid of excess...

Dematerialization: Step 1

2005-05-18T15:39:00.000-04:00

Warning: What you are about to read will change your way of life and may rattle you to the depths of your soul. If you choose to embark on a dematerialization journey, your life and outlook will never be the same.

Step 1: Dematerialization: Not for the faint of Heart
Dematerialization is a movement towards:

Discarding material possessions that not only bog down your life, but also dictate how you live from day today including work, school, and leisure
Changing your life, values and the way you view the world
Replacement theory where you replace 10 useless things with 1 sleeker more useful thing
Respect for the environment
Respect for your body, mind, family, pets and friends

Everything that I have been writing before this is just a taste: A pre-amble.
Once the big purge dematerialization has been completed, the rest is simple maintenance & upkeep.
Dematerializing is getting rid of extra clutter in life while raising awareness of the effect the clutter has on you, and avoiding letting clutter back in

This process is not for the faint of heart and certainly not for the faint of mind. I have been in the process of dematerializing for 1 year, it is ongoing and it will change your perspective on many things.

I will be writing out a step by step guide to help anyone out there interested in living a life that isn't based on material possessions. Please feel free to comment and give feedback.

Arisu

RePlace: Household Cleaners

2005-05-16T20:31:00.000-04:00

I'm sure many environmentalists are also dematerializers and have thus replaced their traditional household killers (cleaners) with environmentally friendly concoctions

Please, if you have cleaners at home, take a minute and think about this:

Anything you use and pour down the sink, eventually goes into the water supply: You are therefore drinking Pinesol and Mr. Clean....Mmmm
Cleaner manufacturers use marketing (commercials) and strong odors to convince you that something isn't clean unless it has that "chemically clean smell of pine, orange or lemons" in reality this is a mind trick, environmentally friendly alternatives clean just as well but trade off for the "clean smell" you expect, please don't be fooled!
Just because something has lemons or oranges in it, real or not doesn't make it environmentally friendly
Cleaners are harmful to your pets and children they have to breathe the stench and sometimes pets will get the chemicals in their mouth? Please be mindful.
It's significantly cheaper to use environmentally friendly alternatives to cleaners and you can do it yourself with simple recipes and more simple recipes
The reasons for not using chemical cleaners are truly infinite and the reasons for using environmentally friendly cleaners are finite: They're for the health and safety of your family members, cheaper and nicer to mother earth.

Harsh Household Chemical Cleaners: 0
Environmentally Friendly Alternatives: 1

RePlace: No more maxi pads and tampons

2005-05-13T09:36:00.000-04:00

Hey Girls (and enviro boys who love their girls)

Tampons and pads make you feel nasty, smelly and uncomfortable (don't lie)

Filling up landfils with plastic based pads means they will never biodegrate even if tampons may, but again, let's not be too optimistic

Hand-made pads you can buy at enviromental stores require constant washing and the gross feeling is still there

Solution: Diva Cup which I can assure you from personal experience is effective and you will never go back to your old environmentally unfriendly ways

Quick reasons why Diva Cup is better (they have a full list on their site) : The smell is gone, no constant pad buying, travel lighter, can keep it in for 12 hours, no huge amount of garbage, cheaper in the long run (like 6 months worth)

Their initial price of $32.50 US is steep: Not really because it pays for itself in much less than a year

There site has a store locator so you can order online or pick it up locally. It's a Canadian based company so even Canadian girls can get one

No I don't work for the company :)

Maxi-Pads: 0
Diva Cup: 1

ReView: Charming DIY

2005-05-07T10:42:00.000-04:00

While I realize the point of this blog is to eliminate clutter, I also love the ReUse part of ReDuce, ReUse, RePair and ReCycle so this post is about two of my favorite things: ReUsing materials and DIY fashion (Do It Yourself)

While browsing through Boston's Craiglist I came upon Sabrina's Charm, and I was immediately in love with some of her DIY creations.
A little about Sabrina, who was kind enough to send me some info about herself and the DIY help each other out art/fashion movement: Self taught and learning along the way she combines her offbeat style with her love for theunconventional and has managed to create unique piecesfor the like minded and for people who say "Wow I would have never thought of that!" Contact her at: brisana581@yahoo.com
My favorites include:

Fortune Cookie Bracelets (Also available in Earrings)

Spring Bracelets

Poker Earrings

Finally: If you like to give and receive check out: HomeOfTheSampler where a bunch of indie businesses contribute samples which are sent out to subscribers and contributers. Every month is a new package teeming with cool stuff.

DIY Accessories: 1
Claire's: 0

ReStore: Privacy and Trees

2005-05-02T19:04:00.000-04:00

How are Privacy and Trees related?
Simple:

Companies cut down trees to send you junk mail that infringes on your privacy. At least when you delete spam, you can sleep knowing no trees were killed!
Not so with other junk mail

Canadians

Some tips on avoiding junk mail (Courtesy of our own gov't)
Remove your name from mailing lists by contacting the Canadian Direct Marketing Association at: 416/391-2362

Americans

Call 1-888-567-8688 to remove your name from 3 credit card mailing lists, leave your name and address. Results last for 2 years, courtesy of a federal agency. In the US companies will send you unsolicited credit cards: PURE EVIL!
Comprehensive resource on removing your name from junk mail lists/calling lists by state
Rule of Thumb: These services will always be free if you have to pay it's likely a scam

Souless Marketers: 0
Smart DeMaterializers: 1

ReView: Gentle Fawn, Ok47, American Apparel

2005-05-01T11:30:00.000-04:00

It's hard to find nice clothes: Honestly, with the inundation of Gaps, Old Navy's American Eagle, Abercrombie, Express, Walmart and other heinous mall stores, there is a good chance that someone else will have what you have.

On top of that, most of the clothes are made by little children or young women for pennies a day. This doesn't bother me that much because payment should be in context of the economy however the extreme 2000% markup is what annoys me most.

Enter 3 Brands that make nice clothing with none of the overt unproportional markup, 2 from Canada and 1 from the US

American Apparel: Based in Downtown LA, make simple plain clothing for girls and guys in all nice colors for a very reasonable price. On top of that, everyone in the factory is paid a fair wage AND they are in the process of creating an organic line.

Gentle Fawn: Currently my favorite brand, no description would do justice but you won't see every tacky Louis vuitton toting Chinese slipper wannabe fashionista wearing this stuff:

Ok47: Toronto-Based offshot of beloved Geek Boutique, they truly turn graphic design into an art and watch their sale page for cheap-a-licious bargains. Sometimes if you get lucky they have sample sales as well.

Ciao for now

ReView: Tokyo Flash

2005-04-28T13:32:00.000-04:00

ReView: Alternatime telling

I have to admit I missed a day, which may happen along the way because I'm currently in exam mode.

There are two types of watches: digital and analogue: and now there are three types of watches.
Tokyo Flash (Straight out of Japan) makes unique timepieces to die for.

Don't pass around the word too much or everyone will be wearing them.

Regular Watches: 0
Tokyo Flash: 1

ReUse: Give and Get Free

2005-04-25T22:03:00.000-04:00

FREE: Great word in so many ways

While I realize that this site is supposed to be about getting rid of stuff, I recognize we can't live stuffless.
Actually I'm encouraging being efficient and thoughtful about what you buy, stuff for the sake of serving a purpose and not just being a packrat
Sometimes you need to give stuff away and sometimes you need stuff too: Buying new is a drag especially since used stuff that is still usable often ends up in landfills:

Solution: Freecycle where you can give and get for free: Craigslist also has a great free section (pick the correct city) and I've seen people give away great stuff!

Remember the secret is to ONLY TAKE WHAT YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED even if what you see is the coolest thing you must own.

Stores: 0
Free Stuff Online: 1

ReFresh: Self-Improvement List Style

2005-04-24T14:29:00.000-04:00

ReFresh: 200 Ways to Improve Yourself

I love lists.
I think the best way to improve oneself is via simple steps that can be realistically integrated in everyday life.
No one wants to have to re-invent themselves with those ridiculous books.
I found this list that has 200 really helpful tips courtesy of Robin Sharma
I don't know who Robin Sharma is, maybe it's a cult, nonetheless the advice is sound and if out of 200 suggests you find 1 that works for you, we'll all consider it a successful day.

Expensive Self-Help Books: 0
Free-Internet Self-Help: 1

RePlace: Kill Your Coffee Maker

2005-04-23T09:37:00.000-04:00

RePlace: Your Coffee Maker with Jolt Gum

Not to be the poster child for Jolt Gum but I am. I love it.
Benefits:

12 Pieces in one pack (2 Pieces = 1 cup of coffee) I only need one
No excessive coffee pooping
Can have it throughout the day as necessary
No need to buy coffee every day (Save $$)
Portable energy
Totally effective: I know I've been using it for a while to stay awake in Law School

Coffeemaker: 0
Jolt Gum: 1

Happy Earth Day

2005-04-22T18:24:00.000-04:00

Tech junk is winding up in landfills: Sophisticated disposal methods and resources are emerging

Now that you know this, what can you do?

TigerDirect: Will give you $$ for a trade in, and refers you to charities that will take it
Verizon, Sprint + Others: Drop off your old phone to be recycled/refurbished & donated.
Of course a Google search for computers + recycling will get you there as well

Introduction: DeMaterialiZe

2005-04-22T00:50:00.000-04:00

I talk too much, I have too much stuff, I love the Environment

It's time to remove the excess: Hence DeMaterialiZe
Sometimes adding new elements to your life scope is good so I'd like to share those too.
I've been living on the internet since 1996.
This is not my first blog but I'd like it to be my first real blog
This is my first attempt at organizing my brain

My Goals

Get rid of my material possessions bit by bit
Pass on wisdom and advice I find on the Internet: Product recommendations/dislikes, sites you should know about and whatever else I happen upon in my travels
Be opinionated in anonymous form
Help you with simple advice, to respect and revere the environment