Break This: Throwing Away and Buying New

As the saying goes, "If it ain't broken don't fix it." However, I would like to expound on this saying a little more. For the last decade or so American consumers have been pleased with the current product life cycle. That is you purchase a product, you use it, if it breaks you throw it away, then purchase a new one. This is one of the reason why the United States is one if not the largest consumer in the world. If we don't like a product or if it breaks in the slightest bit we just buy the latest that is out there and throw the old one away, again and again, and again.

Now that we are in a down turned economy, however, it is time to change the way the average consumer thinks. There is less money now to spend and yet we still want a lot of things. The tide needs to turn back to the days of hacking, repairing, and repurposing. The day has come where we need to take the initiative in trying to repair, jimmy-rig, or resurrect the things we want. So instead of throwing away that LCD TV that has gone black, replace those bad capacitors and watch it come back. Want a server? Repurpose that old work laptop and use it to host your pictures and movies.

Want some good resources? Check out instructables.com, Make magazine,and a ton of other sites dedicated to those people who want to make things work. Save a buck, save a purchase, and save yourself some heartache of losing your stuff.

Break This: Schools Stifling Creativity

TED is an international conference where some of the greatest thinkers in the world discuss some of the major problems in the world. They come up with incredible ideas and invent some amazing technology. This lecture by Sir Ken Robinson talks about some of the concepts or how the structure of schools is impeding in the creativity and learning process. I hope you enjoy it.



Tell me what you think in the comments.

Break This: Brand Positioning

I'm amazed at how many people will accept the findings of an "expert" without doing any investigation into an issue themselves. Sure, the idea of having an expert give an opinion based on reason is valid and should be encouraged, but to what degree are we willing to go out and make our own opinion about the world around us?

An article in the Opinion section of The New York Times discusses the idea that Science is as much based on faith as religion. I won’t go any further with that line of thought, but the article brings up a good point about how we accept certain things in the education process without ever really asking why certain things are the way they are. And that’s just in the area of Mathematics and Physics.

I’m probably a little more cynical than I should be, but my point relates to product marketing. I turn on the TV to watch my favorite show and I’m bombarded with messages about how this product will do all these things to make my life better, or make me cooler, or prevent something bad from happening to me. These ads are based on some brand personality, in some cases inclusive with an “expert” finding, which solidifies the product’s position in the mind of the consumer and gets us to buy their product without much thought about the claim.

The real question is whether the utility of the product matches the hype. Based only on taste, can you tell the difference between your favorite brand of root beer and the others? I think we, as consumers, would be much better served if we did a few blind taste tests for ourselves. In fact, I think we owe it to ourselves to question the “facts” about the things we take for granted. If nothing else, "the proof is in the pudding.”

So go ahead and break Brand Positioning. You might just find a new favorite....

Global Warming?! Where?

It seems like people these days are considerably concerned about global warming and its effects on our lives all over the world. Because of this people are going out of their way to do all sorts of crazy things in order to decrease the amount of air pollution they are causing. But here are a few research papers and discoveries that may answer the question: is there global warming? Because as far as I am concerned, we aren't doing nearly as bad as we used to.

For example, a newly completed study found in Geophysical Research Letters discusses how the rise in temperature in Europe is related to both the removal of pollution as well as the creation of it. The concept isn't new, in fact the theory has been known as Global Dimming for the last few decades. The research concluded that in certain areas of Europe the temperature has risen faster than could be explained by just the idea of global warming. In fact, they concluded that the extra increase in temperature was caused by the lack of pollution allowing direct radiation from the sun to strike the earth's surface. That is, the pollution in the air is reflecting a portion of the sun's radiation. So that is something you might not have heard from your friend who drives his Prius smugly because he believes he is averting global warming.



One idea that most people don't consider about global warming is that what if it was good for us and really wasn't that bad? For instance, in colder countries that were once stricken by cold this could be an escape that allows higher populations to thrive there. Tómas Jóhannesson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office said this, “It’s not surprising that the warming effects of climate change can be beneficial for a cold country like Iceland." Or maybe the climate change can help the current weather patterns so there are fewer storms and natural disasters. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who reported in May that Atlantic hurricanes may actually decrease, with a projected 45 percent drop in tropical storms and hurricanes by the end of the century due to the climate change.

So the question now is this: Is there really global warming and is it really all that bad?

Break This: Stalkernet

Have you ever visited a school website and found yourself in a student directory? Sure, it's fun to find yourself and a few of your friends, but do you really want your information to be available to anyone on the internet? Some colleges and universities post disclaimers about how information shouldn't be used for commercial purposes, but they cannot provide any guarantee that someone won't just look you up on your student directory and send you commercial email despite the warning.

Worse than the occasional SPAMling attack is the potential for some wacko with too much time on his/her hands to use the directory wacko who has found a great new way to meet new people on the college directory. For this reason, I hereby dub open college directories "Stalkernet," which I will continue to refer to through the rest of this post.


Stalkernet has a legitimate purpose: college and universities need to retain student information so they can collect on registration, maintain academic records, and keep in contact with you after you graduate from college. The problem comes when the colleges and universities decide to post the information to the internet. In some cases, the information is only available to students who have logged into the school's web portal which, although better than no security at all, is not particularly desirable.


The solution in many cases is simple: check that box on your personal information page that keeps your contact information from being posted. In some cases you may also need to talk to the administration office in order to resolve this issue, but the personal privacy and peace of mind is worth the effort. So go ahead: Break Stalkernet....

Break This: Diminishing Returns on Study

I am an avid believer in the concept of diminishing returns. I really like to apply it specifically to studying for an exam. You see, right now I am working on my masters at BYU and I have come to learn throughout my college career that I reach a certain point, no matter the subject, where I cannot hold in more information. I believe that whenever a person is studying for an exam, whether the exam contains application or theoretical questions, there is only a certain amount of information your mind can hold before it can't hold anymore.

This is where diminishing returns starts to take affect. You notice that although you are studying and using the same methods and processes you know will maximize your studying efforts, there seems to be only a partial amount that sticks in your mind. So my question is this: why waste the time? I think that once you hit that speed bump, the time used to study loses value in an exponential scale. Don't spend too much time in that area of diminishing returns because after all that time and work, when you come out of the exam with a score far less than you expected you will only be that much angrier for losing that time.

So when you hit that peak and really start noticing that your "brain is getting warm" or that diminishing returns has sunk in with a vengeance I would suggest doing one of two things: Either stopping for a long period of time (if you really want to keep studying) or Just take the exam. I promise you will thank me for helping you stay sane during midterms and finals.

Break This: Organic Food

Ever wonder how much money is spent on organic food? It is way too much. Honestly, how much of a difference is there between organics and regularly grown food? Think about it this way: Most baby boomers we raised and fed non-organic food when chemicals such as pesticides and other fertilizers were mainstream. Personally, I think they turned out alright and I'm not seeing a third arm or an extra eyeball. In fact, they as a demographic generate the largest amount of revenue in the United States.

Here is another argument. I have talked to doctors, food scientist, and nutritionists here at Brigham Young University and every single one I talked to mentioned that they are happy that people in general are becoming more aware of what they eat, however, the fact that people are going out of their way for organics isn't worth the minimal incremental possibility of better health. Nothing has been conclusive to them.

How about the argument that it is "greener" to buy organic food compared to regularly grown food because of the growing process harming the environment. Well, unfortunately for that argument, organic foods are being transported on such a wide scale from local growers to different chains such as Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, and the likes that the carbon foot-print necessary to quickly ship those sensitive foods from one end of the country to the other.

Now, I am a healthy eater. I like to eat wisely and I'm not a penny pincher. But the exorbitant amounts of money spent on a slight non-conclusive improvement in nutrition through organic foods needs to stop. Regularly grown foods are good for you because of the natural properties of the food. As long as you aren't gorging down junk food you're ok.

Break this: Cell Phone Advertising

I hate cell phone advertising with a passion. Sure, I’m okay with the barrage of marketing attempts on the internet, television, radio, newspapers, billboards, and I guess even those guys who invite you to “information sessions” trying to get me to recruit three friends to join- but my cell phone?

That’s right. If you haven’t experienced the magic of the cell phone text message, or its verbal counterpart, you probably will sometime soon. A recent article in ComputerWorld (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9097878) details the channels and the players in the game, but the result is that all of us will be receiving lots of cell phone advertising via text, web, phone call, etc. from companies like Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo. And the sad part about the whole issue is that I end up paying for those annoying text messages on my monthly statement.

So what do we do about it? Join the DND List, or call the cell phone company and complain. These people need to know that we’re not going to take it, and especially that we’re not going to pay for them to text us. So go ahead: let’s break the Cell Phone Advertising movement.

Break This: Pre-Pre-Holiday Merchandise and Sales

Has anyone noticed that it is Christmas already? Neither have I, but the stores around town sure think it is. Not that there is anything wrong with holiday discounts, in fact, I love a good deal just as much as the next guy. The only I have with the retail industry at this point, is them thinking that they can start selling for Christmas at the beginning of October. Go to a local store and you can see them putting in decorations, gift ideas, ornaments, trees, the whole nine yards.

The sad part is that there are plenty of other holidays during this time of the year that are getting totally pushed aside by the big guy in a red suit and his reindeer. What happened to Halloween? Or Thanksgiving? I guess they will just reduce the prices further when they come but leave up the decorations fro Christmas. Or even better, why not mesh the decorations of all of the holidays into one display.

Think of it. Santa with a Jack-o-lantern head and turkeys pulling the sled. I can see it now. Seriously, though, this has got to stop. Besides sapping our wallets for a longer period of time and making us feel inclined to buy something we don't really need, the decorations are way too soon and way too much. This needs to stop.

Break This: Stupid Fan

There is something about sporting events and cheering my team on that I just love. The energy and the excitement, the skill and the talent, the pain and the struggle to win. I love it! But what is with the stupid fans.
First, if you are going to cheer your team on then wear the RIGHT colors. I don't care how cute the outfit is, show your team pride, that goes for guys and girls. Last Saturday, I went to my school's football game...watched from the second row, south end zone! Totally awesome. But I could have kicked the guy in front of me. He was wearing a red baseball cap, a gray sweatshirt with a black blazer over it, jeans, and black dress shoes. Our school colors are BLUE & WHITE! If you come to the game dressed like that guy, you should have to seat in the nosebleed section.

Second, STAY for the entire game. You have already been there more than 2 hours why not finish it out. I don't care what the score is or how bad the weather is. Finish something, oh, you fair weather fans.

Third, (this applies to football mainly) be QUIET when your team has the ball. The players need to be able to hear the quarterback call the play. Make noise and get loud when we are on defense.

Fourth, ignorance is annoying. Study up on the game, know the rules, and don't just yell because you didn't like the call. And as good as you think you are at playing the sport, you are not on the field or court. If you were really all that good than you would be out there.

If your top priority is anything other than watching and cheering your team on then why not stay home. Everyone will have a much better time. So it's time to break the habit of being a stupid fan.

Break This: Self Help Seminars

If there is one thing that irks me to an extreme, it is all those "find meaning in your life", "get rich like me", "you can do anything", and "be happy like me" types of self-help seminar. I have had family members and friends spend lots of money going from one seminar or conference to another. They keep telling me after wards that it was so inspiring or that they were moved to change or that they were made to do all sorts of crazy activities in order to achieve a new level of .

However, they clearly didn't learn their lesson because they keep going back. But I don't think the people who runs those seminars are wanting them to only attend once. In fact, you might consider this *cough*scam*cough* to be based on the idea that in order to really maintain that goal in your life you have to consistently attend all of the "help" sessions.

The reality is that people's talents are based on their naturally reoccurring patterns on how they behave to stimuli. That means ever since we were teenagers, certain pathways in our brain solidified how we make doing certain actions, how we look from different perspectives, or how we react to different stimuli permanent. That means that no amount of training, exercises, or practice will make the pathways in our brain that are weak as strong as the dominant ones we made growing up. It can make it better, no doubt, but it will not make it one of your talents.

So what do we do if we feel stuck with ourselves and feel like we need to go to one of these seminars to "expand our talents and possibilities"? Look at the talents and strengths you do have and use them! Don't know what they are? Get help from others to find your strengths and leverage them so that you can advance in your career or socially. By all means use your talents to really make a difference in your life, not look for others talents and trying to use them as your own.

Music and Movies

Technology for music and movies has been a little tricky because the laws now are more detective instead of preventive. Remember the short-lived days of downloading music for free. Now laws are in place to make that illegal to protect the artists and creators of their hard work. The problem is the system is not perfect and the solution is even worse.

Technology changes too quick for good solutions to be created and laws to protect. When music and movies first came out people didn't have the capabilities to record. They listened on the radio and went to the movies. No laws were needed. But things changed and soon people could record. In my growing up days, it was cassette tapes and VHS. Recording was fairly easy. However, better technology has brought the digital recording solution. That is the problem, the better technology makes data easier to share and store at an increased speed.

CDs allowed us to share data more easily and more quickly, including music and later movies. Then the internet allowed us to share the information and that created a bigger problem. The norm of going to a store and buying music and movies was changing. Now everything is available online and everyone has a portable media player that holds tons of music and videos.

So now the problem becomes access control as we are trying to copy, backup and storage all the digital media data. Copyright laws protect the information but is so frustrating. If I bought the song, why is my use of it limited, shouldn't I be able to copy it and back it up? Well the solution to the access control was DRM (Digital Rights Management).

But problems continue even with this solution of copy protection. Recently, RealPlayer created a backup program for DVDs. Download the program for $50 and you can backup your movies legally. Problem solved, right? Not quite, there are too many catches like only being able to use RealPlayer and questions still remain about the legality issues of copy protection. DRM is required by the media labels to sell their songs and movies.

I suggest it is time to break away from the DRM maddness and create a new system. DRM has yet to stop media piracy so it's time to find a solution that will work.

I think far too many college students are content with the campus eatery. I often wonder while I’m waiting in line behind the 15 people ahead of me, where are all the other choices? We move ahead at a snail’s pace, only to find that the item we were about to order is sold out for today. So what do you do?


I settled for plan B and paid seven dollars for a sandwich I really didn’t want in the first place, silently grumbled about the lack of service, and tried to find an open seat. I admit that I gripe a little more than I would like in sharing this story, but my experience brings up the question of the college eatery consensus. I confess that I'm a sucker for the Monday and Wednesday morning biscuits and gravy, but why do we settle for so little?

One solution to the problem is to try the alternative. Why not cross the street and eat somewhere else? I pay less money for more food, and spend less time waiting for the more important task of clogging my arteries- which is what I was really waiting for in the first place, right?


The better solution is, of course, to just bring a sack lunch to school and save myself the time and money. In the meantime though, why settle for the campus eatery experience?

Break This: Graduation Fees

I attend Brigham Young University, which admittedly has relatively low tuition. However, they do charge a $15 fee for graduation. A $15 fee just to graduate! They want us to graduate! They warn you when you begin getting too many credits that you need to hurry up and get out of here. And yet they want to charge you to do the very thing they are pressuring you into.

I did some quick calculations today and decided BYU makes about $128,000 per year from graduation fees. This is a large University that surely brings in tens of millions of dollars in tuition each year. Are they really that hard up for the $128,000? With all these fees it feels like I am going to school at a bank.

So what can be done? Probably not much. It's not like there's any way around it, and boycotting the fee will really only just keep you from graduating. However, there have been internal talks at BYU about getting rid of the fee. The division of Student Academic and Advisement Services are the ones who manage the graduation process. You could try submitting your opinions on the subject at http://saas.byu.edu. Go there and use their feedback system to voice your opposition to this pointless barrier to graduation.

Break This: Biking without a Lock

If there has been one habit of BYU students in the area that makes me aware that I live in a college area that has way too much trust in the strangers that surround them. I don't know about most people, but growing up I was taught the principle of not trusting strangers. I figured this applied in all situations, that's why I have a firewall on my computer, a deadbolt on the front door of my condo, and a quick reaction to lock my car once I get out.

However, I have seen that this does not apply to most people on campus...when it comes to their bikes. BYU has a plethora of bike riders that stuff the racks with their two-wheeled mode of transportation. However, I'd say about a third don't have a lock on their bike. Now, I understand that people in this community believe that everyone here is a kind-hearted, good-spirited person, but the fact of the matter is more theft happens here because most people aren't.

I'm not a pessimist, untrusting, or paranoid, but I do understand that there are plenty of people willing to steal a $500 to $700 bike in broad daylight. Why? Because it is so easy. First, a lot of bikes are unlocked, second, most people are too busy either listening to music or talking on the phone to really pay attention, and third, how do people really identify it isn't their bike? They don't have to undo the lock, enter a password, or use a key. They just pick up the bike and leave with a nice new bike.

Hopefully this trend will change but from the look of police beat and news from classmates and friends, it doesn't seem like it.

Breaking the Internet Restrictions

How many times have you wanted to access YouTube and couldn't because you were on campus? I love when professors want to use YouTube but can't without a work around. One professor told me how he loads all the YouTube videos on his computer at home and then brings it to school to show his student. For professors, they can get passwords for temporary access but this solution is not available for students.

I can understand the restriction to YouTube as a concept because for the most part it is not being used for educational purposes but I get emails from professors and the like directing me to YouTube to watch a video. So I have to wait until I am off campus to access it. Too bad for those who live on campus.

But why break the internet restrictions? Because there is a lot to learn and for a visual learner like myself, it is very helpful. In my communications class, it was really helpful in learning concepts to add a little clip that showed an example.

So go ahead and use the internet filters, vpn, and remote access to watch YouTube.

Breaking the Recreational Status Quo

I think we should break the “recreational status quo.” Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great to have some fun things to do that you can fall back on, but I sometimes worry that too many of us have a couch indentation that uniquely defines a special place to sit.

I am, of course, referring in a great majority to the culture of television shows and movies. We all love TV, several hours a day for those of us who live in the United States. We all have our favorite shows (I’m partial to The Office, 24, The Big Bang Theory, Scrubs, and MASH), but what about all the other cool things you can do with your spare time?

One of the things I try to do is to try things I’ve never done before. I recently tried out for a comedy troupe- I didn’t make it, but it was a lot of fun to try. Some other interesting things to try might be rappelling, rock climbing, learning to play a musical instrument, speaking in public, writing poetry, playing organized sports, traveling, or community service. The point is not what we’re doing; just that it’s something different than the normal things we do for fun.


So go ahead: Break the Recreational Status Quo and have some fun doing it…

Break This: Computer Complacency

I have the feeling that when people buy most electronic devices, namely computers, they have a tendency to just accept the computer as is. I mean, taking the computer with the software and features already installed. Not many people take the time to uninstall software they don't need, install applications they prefer, or customize the look and feel of the machine.

I think it is time to stop being complacent about our personal computers and to take charge of making them our own and not just another HP, Dell, Mac, etc. So start uninstalling the bloatware or any software that you don't want. Research and try out different alternatives to popular software. I would recommend looking at alternatives at download.com which has a large list of alternatives and a column dedicated to freeware that has great potential and usability.

Want to change the look and feel? Try out Interfacelift for new icons, wallpaper, and screen savers that are public domain. Spice it up with some of your own artwork and pictures. Want to be recognized on the network? How about changing the name of your machine that reflects how you view your machine better. I had one programming teacher who called his "Stallion"; I named my laptop the Spanish name for Lancelot.

Go ahead, make the product you own really your own. That way when somebody asks "Oh, you got a new HP?" you can happily reply "this is my custom laptop."

Breaking the Car Culture

I think more college students should ride bicycles to school. Sure, if you live miles and miles away then your options are fewer, but is a car pool or public transportation all that bad? This summer the average price for a gallon of gasoline climbed to about $4.50 in the United States, and Europe is typically more expensive. Of course, you should consider the parking permit you just bought... and the traffic... and the time it takes you to find that special parking spot ten minutes away from your first class. Time to break the college car rule. Instead, you might consider some of the following options.



Start a carpool – Whether you are thinking about the planet, or just your wallet, you definitely will save some green. You might also solve that problem of being tardy if you coordinate with a few other friends.

Buy a motorcycle – Besides the coolness factor of your new “hog,” you get much better gas milage than the average car, pay less in insurance, and are more likely to find a decent spot to park.

Take the Bus - A typical bus pass is much less expensive than the gas you use to get to your destination and you might just make a few new friends on your way to class.

Walk to School – Definitely for those who like to get their exercise, but a great suggestion if you live close to campus and want to get back to basics.


So go ahead and do something different. You might just like it...

Breaking the Parking Ticket Idea

Parking Tickets. Why did you get a parking ticket? There was no other place to park, you wanted to be closer, or just didn't know it required a permit to park there. Parking tickets usually are more annoying than anything but what if we changed the way we viewed parking tickets. Usually a parking ticket will require some dollar amount and so here is my point...You are purchasing convenience.

You are running late and don't want to bother with finding a spot in the Y lot. So you decided the parking ticket is worth the money if it means you will be on time or closer to where you need to be. If you are willing to pay, why not be able to park where you want. For those who don't want to pay, then park where you have a permit.

Break This: Watching Commercials

I think it is time to stop watching TV. Don't think I'm advocating missing the next episode of "Lost" or "The Office". I am saying that we have wasted way too much time watching the commercials that TV networks give us during our favorite shows, when we could just be watching the shows themselves. Sure there are a lot of good services online that provide TV content to your computer, but most of them still have online ads or don't let you view the show in full screen.



My solution to the problem? Torrents. We don't need to spend an hour watching our favorite shows when they only take 45 minutes. And we want to be able to watch the shows when we want to. Downloading the episodes via torrent not only give you great quality video of your favorite shows, but you can watch them whenever you want. Is this legal? Of course it is. Why? Because the network publicly broadcasts the show to everyone, and anyone with a VCR or computer with a capture card can record it. Ergo, recording a public broadcast for later use is perfectly legit.


To get you started you can download uTorrent a very popular and very good torrent manager. Then you download the torrent files from eztv.it, the largest collection of HD recorded TV shows. Just download the file, which will be opened by uTorrent and the program will download the show directly where you want it. It's a sinch!

So go out there and actually enjoy your favorite TV shows!