Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse

By Sam Hackerson

We’ve all heard it before—reduce, reuse, recycle. But very recently it was pointed out to me that no one ever remembers the fourth R in that sequence---refuse. One of the most important things you can do is refuse. Send a message to suppliers of all sorts and show them exactly what you don’t need.

Start Small

Try bringing your own silverware to the plastic-stocked cafeteria, bringing a reusable water bottle and refilling it at fountains, or replacing air fresheners with baking soda.

Take it a Step Further

Go vegetarian once a week. I know you’ve all heard this one before, but that’s because it’s such an easy way to lower demand for something that causes a lot of unnecessary waste.

Feeling Ambitious?

Try making your own rain barrel and avoid overusing your hose (there are some good instructions herel) or plant your own garden and lower demand for groceries that would’ve required transport. Don’t have your own place? Try one of these. You can even start your own compost and lower your demand for space in landfills— there’s some great start up info here.

You don’t have to drastically alter your everyday life; all you need to do is think about what you can substitute and what you can do without, then all that’s left to do is start refusing.

Decoded

By Amy Albertson

If you're an avid magazine reader, like me, you might be curious about those little squares of black and white that keep popping up on ads. From Armani to Tag Hauer ads, these codes are seen more and more on magazine ads and signs. A curious consumer, I decided to find out just what they are all about. These little squares are called QR (quick response) codes and are barcodes made up of black modules arranged on a white background. The codes are scannable by barcode readers and now smart phones.

So what is the perk of scanning one of these codes? Well, that varies from ad to ad. I decided to download a QR reading app for my iPhone and try it out myself. The Armani Exchange code took me to a web page advertising exclusive looks at AX fashion, the Doc Marten code took me to a page detailing exactly which pair of shoes the model in the ad was photographed wearing, with links to buy them for myself, and the Pac Sun code tok me to a page allowing me to download free tracks of music. The app I downloaded also catalogs any codes I scan, making it easy to refer back to them. Clearly some are more valuable than others. Scanning these little codes is a pretty easy way to score some free stuff. And who doesn't like free stuff?

Check your smart phone's app store for a free QR code scanner and get to it! It's like what Forrest Gump said about life and a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!

Pog Lovin'

By Blair Stenvick

Remember pogs? Those cardboard circles with different designs, characters, teams, et cetera on them that were huge in the nineties? Yeah, I loved pogs, and if you’re over eighteen, chances are you did too.

But let’s be honest here: they were completely useless. Apparently there was some sort of game that went along with them, but I never played it, and I don’t remember anyone else playing either. The thrill was purely in collecting them. And unlike Pokemon or baseball cards, which at least had some sort of clear ranking system, all pogs were created equal. I didn’t care what was on them, I just liked having a lot of them. Pogs served absolutely no function beyond being something to own. They were the most purely capitalistic fad I can think of.

So why were they so fucking inescapable in 1995? According to Wikipedia, President Bill Clinton was even in on the “fun” that came with these little pieces of cardboard. I tried thinking of some modern-day equivalent to pogs, and the closest I could get was Silly Bands, but at least you can wear those.

But then, Pogs aren’t that different from any other cheap collectible, from sticker books to movie ticket stubs. But why do we like to collect so much? I love to sometimes just sit and look at my record and book and sweater collections, especially when there are new additions. Material things offer a special kind of comfort that I can’t imagine giving up. And even things like pogs, devoid of any emotional or intellectual meaning, can be reassuring exactly because of their lack of practicality. Absolute novelty is sometimes needed, and if we’re going to indulge, I’d rather it be in pieces of cardboard than in diamonds.

Pogs: the Middle Class’ version of gold-plated toothpicks. Being excessive, on a budget. Don’t think; just pog.