It’s the middle of August, which means it’s time for the UW-Madison students to arrive and for thousands of downtown apartment dwellers to toss most of their possessions to the curb and be homeless for a night until they can move into their new place the next day.

Right outside the front door of my building was a box marked “FREE” of discarded electronics including what are now my new alarm clock and subwoofer-equipped computer speakers. It doesn’t get any easier or cheaper than this.