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Lighten your load, part 2

too-many-carsA retired couple in my neighborhood have five vehicles in their driveway. Two drivers. (And there may even be another one or two tucked away in their garage.) Admittedly, the RV is a great addition to their choices of fun ways to spend a summer. But some of the other vehicles overlap in function.

I realize that the initial cash value freed up by selling two might not be much. But the insurance, tax and maintenance costs for keeping that many vehicles going is significant (in my book).

Having fewer vehicles in the stable to keep track of would give an increased sense of freedom, I’d almost promise. And they would never have to move one vehicle to get to the other.

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Lighten your load, part 1

avanti-bThe Studebaker Avanti was a revolutionary design. It was produced in 1962 – way ahead of its time. Raymond Loewy, the designer, was one of the celebrated industrial designers of the 1950s and 1960s. It is truly a beautiful car, in many ways.

One lives in our neighborhood. And its more broken down twin lives in an adjacent garage. (Pictured is my neighborhood Avanti’s sad eye looking downward.)

I quietly wonder if its owner will do the restoration. Please understand that I am not faulting him (or her) for delaying – I would not be courageous to attempt such a major project.

I would suggest a path to freedom and perhaps a few additional dollars would be for them to sell the car. And its twin. Guilt over unfinished project? Gone.

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Be creative everyday

call-wendyHeather was out. (We share our home office, at the moment.) She got a call. I grabbed a leaf from my waste basket to write the note on.

Takeaway: How can you can do a common task in an uncommon way today?

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Review: Fantastic Mr Fox

mr-foxOver the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Heather, Rachel and I had the privilege of seeing the new film, Fantastic Mr Fox.

We loved it.

There was enough good stuff for an 8-year-old to enjoy, as well as plenty of stuff that only adults would appreciate. Why did I love it so much? There were plenty of shiny bits. The texture of the film went deep. I rarely want to see a film twice, but this one hit that level. There was so much lovingly-crafted detail that I wanted to see it again to catch what I missed the first time. (Sadly, my second viewing will be on the small screen, I’m sure.)

The film commented on the human experience in ways that were profound and simple at the same time. (Background on the story is here.)

Go see it! Today. I must warn you that it is quirky… if you prefer only mainstream experiences, check out another film.

Pic courtesy of the film’s website.

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Puccinos

puccinos-sugarAnother thing that is lost in translation – Puccino’s. That’s a coffee shop chain in the UK. An English friend, Ed, sent me these sugar packets. I love how the white sugar is for “commoners” and the brown (unrefined) sugar is for snobs.

Why is the chain name lost in translation? In the USA, that might be the name of an upscale Italian restaurant.

Funny enough, for my readers in the UK, Starbucks does not brand their brown sugar. They use an outside source, “Sugar in the Raw“. I always pick that kind, when given a choice. It just tastes better. I wrote about that before.

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Fake Starbucks

fake-starbucksI was amused at how this logo looks like the Starbucks logo (if you squint your eyes just right). It’s for a cafe chain in Japan.

Anonand? That’s a name that might sound exotic to a Japanese person – but it has no exotic appeal to an American.

One of my favorite blogs these days is Tokyobling’s Blog. Why? I love Japan. I have never been there, but that culture fascinates me. The blog’s author is a great photographer and an expat living there, so they have an eye for what a foreigner might appreciate.

Someday I’ll do something with my place-holder blog that relates to Japan.

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Spoiled for choice

razor-choiceAmericans arriving in America after having lived more than one year overseas inevitably complain about how there is too much to choose from. Case in point – Schick offers at least ten different kids of razors.

Strictly from an environmental viewpoint, this veers into the overkill zone. The time, energy and resources spent in producing so many different kinds of razors is a waste.

I do understand that Schick’s desire to give the consumer choice (and thereby drive them away from Gillette) is an attempt to grab as much of the market as possible. But I contend that this is just fueling the great American consumption machine. I’d suggest using those resources elsewhere. Designing better mosquito nets to prevent malaria? (Kind of a stretch, but you get my point.) Or have a “red” razor line (that is the same as one of their other lines) where the motivated buyer willingly pays extra to fund initiatives like that.

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