Urawaza

Interesting article I read in the NYT. The comparison between behavior in our current economy and Urawaza caught my attention. My mother-in-law, who grew up in Japan after the war, is one of the least wasteful people I know, parhaps in part because of the culture in which she was raised.

Laptops

IN: Lenovo X300 laptop. Ultraportable. 3lbs. Nice.

OUT: Dell Inspiron 8200 (circa 2002). Brickish. 8 lbs.
My eulogy for this laptop: It had its problems: unseated DC power board, failed hard drive, failed fans, dead lines in screen. But, it's still running and running well. The latest problem is a failed wireless card and so I've decided it's finally time to put it out to pasture. Sent to Goodwill.

Headlights

IN: New H1-55W headlight bulb. Purchased at Autozone.
OUT: Burned out H1-55W headlight bulb. Sent to trash.

Shoestrings

IN: New shoelaces. For my running shoes, purchased at Famous Footwear.OUT: Old, broken shoelaces. Worn through by my running shoes. Sent to trash.
OUT (extra): Old, old running shoes. Sent to Goodwill.

Drinking

IN: An aluminum water bottle. BPA free, I guess. A belated Christmas gift from my siblings.
OUT: Souvenir cups from the US Open (weak, I know). Sent to Goodwill.

Orienteer

IN: A sweet Moscow thumb compass. A belated Christmas gift from my siblings.
OUT: Billygoat 2008 polo shirt. These were given to the top 100 finishers in the 2008 race. Sent to Goodwill.