Matt Hanley » Random / Consumerism

Lending a Vacuum Cleaner and a Million Dollar Idea

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:10:03 +0000

Some of you may know I built a Personal Inventory Manager program (Wazitat) in 2007-8 and then got bogged down trying to make it a way to share goods among friends and neighbors (the philosophical issues bogged me down) . Now there are numerous companies that provide a platform for sharing items or excess capacity (such as a room). It’s a sound model. This article in today’s New York Times offers a helpful glimpse into the real life world of people who use services such as AirBnB and SnapGoods. The principle underlying these services is “access trumps ownership.” I’ve been a believer in that since “Wired” turned me on to the powers of a network economy. Funny enough, one of my first blog posts (before they were called blogs) was about the diminished importance of ownership versus access. The crux was: “With ownership comes responsibility (taxes, insurance..); with access, opportunity.”

Although I bowed out of developing Wazitat so that I can focus on music and comedy, I remain an advocate and user of peer-sharing… and I may re-start development of some of Wazitat’s functions.

Keepin’ the Spirit Alive

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:01:01 +0000

My true nature is that of a champion. I have joined a gym that trains athletes. It is a Cross Fit gym, which features high-intensity exercises at fast-pace. Some nights I row; some nights I box. I’m working hard to get back on top.

Musical Chairy

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:25:07 +0000

I’m in my new music room. The chair was my first furniture for the pad. I’m holding Alicia in my left-hand. Denise looks on from the wall, she a Gibson hollow-body knockoff. The music box was my very first purchase for the place, as I waited for the keys in a pawn shop… I found a cherry-wood phonograph player (with radio and a CD player on the side). Since then, I’ve been buying vinyl from Reckless Records. Some of the album covers wind up on the wall.

I’ve lost some time to a cold (which I’d avoided all winter / spring but came down with last week). Now I’m well and eager to resume work on the comedy record. The jokes are in the can, but I have to add music.

Street Signs Should be Double-Sided

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:26:47 +0000

It was sad and inconvenient to learn a couple weeks ago that downtown Chicago’s street signs on one-way (for cars) streets are oriented only to be seen by car passengers and pedestrians traveling in the direction of car traffic. What hogwash!! These same streets have sidewalks, used by multitudes of residents and visitors alike, who travel by right and necessity against car traffic. Often, one wonders: what intersection am I approaching? The only way to find out is to PASS the cross-street and look up (the signs are raised at the level of a traffic light) and behind you.

I suppose the GPS / Mapping devices can tell you where you’re headed. But those are expensive.

Hey Mayor Daley:

You have the highest sales tax rate in the country—and often declare that you are “green-friendly”… can’t you give non-polluting customers a heads-up on their location? It would require new street signs. They should be lowered too.. the pole system works best.

No and No Thank you

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:27:26 +0000

I’ve been shopping often for my new flat in Chicago. Check-out clerks have to ask me if I am a Member of their store’s loyalty program. They do so with a 2 part question. First, “Do you have a ___ card?” If the customer says “no” then the clerk must ask “Would you like to sign up today?”

To avoid the second question, I answer the first: “No and no thank you.”