Train of consciousness, 1

I heard on the radio yesterday something that set in train a stream of consciousness that I will now try to describe. To those helpful friends who will object that a stream can hardly be "in train", I plead a personal delight in the mixed metaphor. That's a lie, of course.

An apparent expert in design referred on the radio to "decoupling use and ownership". In fact, from my listening, I believe it is now a principle of some importance to modern design intellectuals, so it should probably be capitalized in a manner fitting such precepts: 'Decoupling Use and Ownership'. If the intellectuals reading don't like my capitalization, I'm confident the Germans and schizophrenics will.

This expression intrigued me and I was soon to learn that it means, more or less, 'sharing'. He was suggesting that consumers "decouple use and ownership" with such things as lawnmowers, because, I suppose, nobody really needs a lawnmower all to themselves. I agree. Let's face it, it's a lot of money to pay for something you use for an hour a week or a month, and it gets rusty just sitting in the garage. It's obviously a folly, like having a washing machine owned and used by just one person, or a suburban block with forty houses and forty washing machines, with people going to shitful jobs to get the money to pay for them. Yes, obviously a sign of the foolishness (and cupidity) of the Western condition. I digress.

Decoupling Use and Ownership
The expert seemed very excited about it, as though it were a new concept. When I heard him, my stream of consciousness started flowing -- or training. Whatever. Let's call it my 'train of consciousness', will that do?

More tomorrow, gods willing.