Category: culture

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Think about the box

electrical box artwork in fort collinsI don’t really want you to think about this box. I do want you to think about what it is.

Fort Collins, Colorado is a college town that consistently ranks as one of the USA’s top twenty cities. One of the reasons why it’s such a cool place to live is the city government. They are open to paintings on electrical switch boxes that would otherwise be a boring dull green.

This is a win-win situation. Artists get more visibility for their work. Everyone enjoys seeing color and creativity in unexpected places.

The application of this for you – what are some ways you can bring creativity to what would otherwise be boring? If you can think of a way, share it as a comment so others can be inspired.

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Sadness about competition

Curbside trasn canThere are too many trash companies in Denver. In the old days, the city would have picked up our trash. These days, there are about ten companies to choose from. The upside is that it keeps the cost down for those who have to pay for the service, such as myself. But there are many downsides:

– There is way more needed infrastructure. Every company needs its own fleet of trucks. Every company needs their own offices.

– There is way more pollution. Each of the ten trash companies that makes a pass through my neighborhood has ten trucks that drive by each week. There used to be one.

– There are five days of noise, rather than one.

– There are cans at the curb five days a week, rather than one.

– “Having so many trash companies provides more jobs.” That is true in the same way that having ten people on a road crew so that six can stand by and watch four work provides more jobs.

We changed trash services recently over two issues, even though we had used the same company for at least five years:

1. We care for humans. Our old company did not have trucks that could empty the cans; the guys had to lift them up to empty them. I always felt bad for their backs. So now, at least there is one less set of cans for them to empty.

2. Price. Yes, we are paying less now – due to competition.

Finally, please understand that I am not saying competition is bad in every case. It’s just bad in this case and situations similar to this.

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Why would they buy it?

Automobile magazine article on the sale of a $8 million FerrariThis Ferrari sold for more than $8 million. Yes, million. And it’s probably older than you are.

I tried to think through what would motivate someone to spend that much money on such an old car.

1. It’s art. Yes, it is a beautiful car. And it’s almost as rare as a Picasso painting.

2. The collector is hoping the value will increase. That is a bet; markets could crash and what a singer named Larry Norman sang a long time ago, “A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,” might come true.

3. The collector has enough money that they are not worried about what brand of laundry detergent to buy.

4. The collector has never been to a slum in Africa or Asia.

5. The collector has enough money to pay insurance for his or her occasional drives. (One year’s insurance must be more than the cost of my house.)

Do you have any ideas on what they were thinking?

Special thanks to Automobile Magazine, where this was featured.

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Some things should not be combined

Angry Birds Cheese NipsAngry Birds was huge, at least a few months ago. Kraft decided to make an Angry Birds edition of their Cheese Nips crackers. Not surprisingly, it instantly made its way to the shelves of Big Lots, a store specializing in rejected products. (I love Big Lots, if only for the opportunity to see things like Angry Birds Cheese Nips.)

What product have you seen lately that lost before it even started the race?

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Swiss vs. German

Switzerland-Germany FlagsI’m a big fan of both Swiss and German engineering. The Germans make the finest cars on the planet. The Swiss make the very best watches available.

My brain fits better with the Swiss model. I am fascinated by small things. (However, I did have major fun, the last time I drove a BMW!)

Why is it that these two similar countries excel in these two areas? I am not sure, but a Swiss or German graduate student should do a PhD dissertation on that topic.

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Visit a museum

Ross and Lula May PerotRoss Perot and his wife have an amazing museum in Dallas, Texas. Their collection of science-related exhibits opened December 1, 2012. There were still a few bugs that needed to be worked out, but it’s still totally worth your time to visit, if you live anywhere close.

Ross and his wife Lula May kindly posed for my camera. (They were very still – this was a portrait of them holding a portrait of themselves in younger days). This picture was part of an exhibit showing the effects of aging.

Two things I learned that I will remember for several years are:

1. My nose is cold. I knew that already, but the live infrared video camera showed how my nose was colder than the rest of our entire party (seven people). Now I know why I need to carry kleenex all the time!

2. Birds’ eggs are permeable. They allow oxygen to enter and carbon dioxide to exit.

If you live in a big city, you have several options. Visit one of the museums available for your viewing pleasure. Most good museums offer interesting things for people of all ages. You might be surprised what you will learn.

Finally, here’s one of the not-finished aspects of the Perot Museum:

Founding Donors

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Changing minds

powIt is so hard to change the minds of people.

The massacre in Connecticut brought all who are for or against gun control to the surface. I like the idea of gun control. (Please, bring on any controls!) I have many friends who prefer total freedom when it comes to firearms. I can never convince them to change their minds. They cannot change mine.

This left me in a discouraged frame of mind. I don’t see the reason to post a video on my Facebook page from Bill Moyers that makes a very convincing case (to me) against the availability of automatic weapons to the general public. (I posted the video and later thought, “What’s the point?” I probably turned off several people, if they actually clicked on the link. And it didn’t make any difference to those who agree with me.)

The one area where I can make a difference is to convince young, impressionable minds of the values behind the ways I think. My wife and I have three kids. All of them agree with our views about gun control (and lots of other things).. at least for now.

For my friends who don’t have kids, you can get involved in a mentor program – and make a difference in the minds and hearts of young people who need the influence of a caring adult. You can pour yourself into their lives. Chances are they will listen to you more than your adult friends.

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Print is not dead

Posters in a city centerOur culture tends to have knee-jerk reactions. As eBooks have been on the rise, many people say the printed book will die. It is very true that paper mills are closing and that physical book sales are way down. But I predict that the printed page will continue for many years.

Moving from physical artifacts to digital artifacts is a major trend. It is so much cheaper to produce an eBook than to print a paper book. Physical books may become a luxury item. Ironically, companies that do very small print runs are on the rise. People still value something they can hold and smell.

Maybe posters will all turn digital, kind of like Times Square or Piccadilly Circus. A problem: the shoot-from-the-hip aspect is much harder to do digitally. (Have you tried to hire a hacker lately? I’d guess that it would be expensive to get someone to hack into a Times Square billboard.) People with some glue and 50 printed sheets can plaster a city center pretty quickly.

So don’t rule out the printed page – just yet.

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Protecting us from ourselves?

New York City recently banned super-size soft drinks at restaurants (LA Times story). There are two ways to think about the law…

1. It violates our right to do whatever we want.

2. It is a great way to save all of us lots of money by preventing obesity-related health problems.

What is your take? Here’s a little poll. I’ll tell you what I think on Friday, September 21st. And please share your thoughts in the comments (link above, next to the title). Enlighten me and other readers!

[polldaddy poll=6537118]

As promised, I’m sharing my take on this. I feel that it is a good thing when any of us is prevented from doing harmful things, with a few exceptions. I’m not a fan of big and expensive government, but I am a fan of prevention of cruelty to humans. Buying a 64-ounce soft drink at a restaurant for consumption by one person is just not a smart thing to do.

Update: “Researchers say they have the strongest evidence yet that sugary drinks play a leading role and that eliminating them would, more than any other single step, make a huge difference.” Source.

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Sometimes new is better

Old mailboxes in rural Colorado

My wife and I have this debate. She is happy with a postal delivery person carrying our mail to the box right by our front door. I am happy for the march of progress. I wouldn’t mind if one of the newer mailbox sheds (or whatever they are called) replaced the individual boxes in our neighborhood. I understand and appreciate the efficiency they represent, particularly in light of how the US postal system is getting in deeper debt every day. Also, the “sheds” offer better security (not that we’ve ever had anything stolen from our box – at least to my knowledge). I do admit to their complete lack of romance and beauty.

Heather likes the convenience of delivery to our front door.

Which do you prefer?

I took these photos in rural Colorado. I thought it was interesting to see the old and new side by side.

Old and new mailboxes in rural Colorado

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