Have you seen The Story of Stuff?

You really must. Truly. Tomorrow is the final last-gasp shopping day before Christmas, and so you might think that you don't have time to watch this 20 minute movie... but do it. Cuz after you watch it, you won't need to Christmas shop anymore. Or at least, you'll be able to re-frame your approach to it, and that might be a good thing.

I think that on some level, we all know that the whole consumer treadmill isn't really all it's cracked up to be... but this little flash movie does a fantastic job of explaining why. From production to landfill, the stuff that we consume has a dirty secret life. 

I really like the way that Free Range Graphics (Web of Changers!) did this film – the graphics that accompany the monologue are really clever and helpful. All in all, highly recommended, especially in this time of gratuitious consumption.

Make some presents, spend some quality time with the ones you love, and enjoy the holidays. But think twice about the obligatory gifts that are likely to end up in landfills within a few months. Why bother?

Happy Holidays to everyone!